


A Gotham Trilogy: Book Two : Vengeance

by DavinaCFox



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Attempted Murder, Bisexuality, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Roller Coaster, F/M, Family Feels, Friends to Lovers, Gay Sex, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild S&M, Multi, Murder, Oral Sex, Polygamy, Revenge, Romance, Threesome - F/M/M, True Love, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 08:44:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 90,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16489373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavinaCFox/pseuds/DavinaCFox
Summary: Set Five years on from Book 1 : Oswald is devastated when a lone gunman attacks, as Ed takes a bullet to the head that leaves him fighting for his life. But as he begins a slow recovery and Oswald devotes his time between caring for Ed and obsessing over killing the man who shot him, the shooter is revealed - and when his identity is known, he is instantly forgiven by Ed and even welcomed into the family, as the child of someone Ed once loved and lost...As the family mends, bonds grow close and Ed recovers and the years go by - they go back to their happy three way marriage as they raise their children, Oswald's dynasty - but his daughter Lilly has been affected by the tragedies that have happened in the family, affected in a way no one will realise until later on - Lilly is not just like her father, she is far darker in her ways, and a few years on, while her brother Ozzie finds the love of his life, and fate brings Fish Mooney back into contact with Oswald,  twenty three year old Lilly is busy making plans she started years before after surviving a fire, into reality - soon the family will have to close ranks and work together to protect Lilly, who is destined to become known as The Gotham Jigsaw Killer...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Gotham Trilogy : Vengeance : A Gotham Nightmare
> 
> Please Note:  
> This is to the M rated Unbreakable : A Gotham Romance, a novel length fic which is AU and tells the story of how Penguin, Gotham's crime king, becomes the most powerful man in the city, and builds a dynasty along the way, after cheating death thanks to Ivy Pepper, he now has the underworld and the authorities in the palm of his hand, he also has two spouses – his wife Rose, and his husband Ed Nygma, and is the father of two children. If you haven't read this first fic, I recommend you read it first before you read the second as this IS an AU fic and Unbreakable is where it all begins, to lead into this second fic. As in the first fic, Rose will sometimes speak to introduce/end certain parts of the tale.
> 
> Vengeance has subjects including a hot three way romance/marriage, scenes of a sexual/passionate nature, scenes of violence and is a heavy roller coaster of emotion. Once again, this fic is AU, and written for those who enjoy AU fics as opposed to strictly canon.
> 
> Book 3 will be in progress very soon!

Chapter 1

 

Introduction: Seven Years on.

 

_Rose Cobblepot: It had been seven years since Oswald became the owner of Cobblepot Oil. In the eyes of the world, he was a legitimate businessman now, he was the most powerful man in Gotham and life was wonderful. But maybe in a city like Gotham, nothing good can last forever..._

 

_I had never been happier, I shared my life and my bed with Oswald and his second spouse Ed Nygma and we had a great relationship. My son by Oswald – Ozzie – was now almost eight years old and looked more like his father every day. But it was Lilly Kapelput, Oswald's daughter, who was now eleven, who was his absolute double. She had his love of dark clothing , carried parasols instead of umbrellas, and she had her father's icy blue eyes and all of his facial expressions. Who would have thought the baby fathered by Oswald during a one night stand with Ivy Pepper so long ago, would have turned out just like her Dad?_

_ Ivy still lived on the other side of the estate, in a big house with a huge greenhouse, where she shared her home with Lilly and her six year old son Eddie, who was fathered by her close friend Ed Nygma, at Oswald's request – now every member of the Cobblepot dynasty had a blood tie to the family name... _

 

_We really thought nothing could go wrong. But all it took was a bullet, just one bullet, and everything started to fall apart..._

 

Chapter 1

 

It was a bright afternoon, the kids were all home because it was school holidays, which meant Rose and Ivy shared the responsibility with Gertrude, who was cooking dinner, as the kids played in the vast, rambling gardens of the estate while Ivy kept a watchful eye, warning them  _ not to dare to pick or stand on those innocent harmless flowers that just wanted to grow in peace.  _

Rose was upstairs in the master bedroom, she had put on a clinging red velvet dress with a plunging neckline, it hugged her curves and as she tossed her long, red hair off her shoulder and added a touch of perfume to her neck she smiled at her reflection, noting how her hair was only two shades darker than Ivy's.

Oswald had recently remarked he wouldn't mind trying a threesome with two red heads...  _ what was it with her husband and women with red hair?  _ Obviously, it was going to happen. She didn't object to his massage evenings with Ivy once a week and Ed certainly didn't care, he was in this arrangement purely to be with Oswald. And of course, now Eddie had come along, he was proud to say he had a child by Ivy, his closest female friend. They all got along so well. And money was never going to be a problem, life was comfortable. Not for the first time, she paused to think how lucky they were to be living this life together...

Rose checked the time, then she picked up the phone and called her husband.

“Oswald?” she said as he answered, “Are you leaving soon? Your mother said dinner will be ready in an hour. Ed just left to meet you.”

“Yes Rose, I know, he just called me,” Oswald replied, “It's been such a long and boring day here! I can't wait to get away!”

“And I can't wait to see you,” she said seductively.

He laughed softly.

“I think we need some serious bedroom playtime tonight – the weekend is finally here!”

“That's why Ed's left to pick you up early,” she reminded him.

“See you soon, my love!” Oswald replied, then the call ended.

Rose smiled as she left the bedroom and headed towards the stairs to go down and join the rest of the family. Again, she thought how life couldn't be more perfect. As she went down the staircase, the clock on the wall shifted the minute hand. It was five minutes to four o'clock...

 

In the heart of the busy city, Oswald was already in the elevator and heading for the ground floor. He had left instruction with his secretary that he would be out of town until Monday – a complete lie, but it meant he was free of all responsibility as soon as he left the building. As the doors opened and he stepped out into the marble hallway, he had his sights fixed on the entrance, and as he caught sight of Ed entering the building, he smiled as his heart missed a beat. Leaning harder on his cane, Oswald hobbled quickly towards the entrance, as Ed spotted him he smiled too.

“How was your day?” Ed asked, pausing to briefly kiss him.

“Shitty as usual,” Oswald admitted as he looked up at him, “Oh, how I miss the days when I was mayor of this town. I even miss the crazy old days when I was a criminal...I don't miss the jail time, though!”

Both men laughed. Then as they left the building, they linked hands and walked out on to the busy street together.

“I can't wait to get you home, I've been thinking about you all day!” Ed said, and Oswald glanced at him as a flicker of excitement came to his eyes.

“Maybe I won't wait till we get home,” Ed added, “I might just park up somewhere on the way back and blame the traffic...”

“What an excellent idea,” Oswald said as they walked on, heading for Ed's car, “I'm not sure what excites me more, you getting me alone or you and Rose taking me to bed tonight...”

“That's decided,” Ed replied with a smile, “I'm definitely parking on the way home.”

“What a way to start the weekend!”

One look told Ed that Oswald was already excited.

“Come on, horny little Penguin,” he said, “Let's get out of town, get parked up and get your pants off...”

Oswald laughed as his face flushed. Ed squeezed his hand.

“I love the way I can still make you blush.”

The car was in sight. It was now four pm. As he felt a hand on his shoulder, Ed tugged on Oswald's hand, turning back. Oswald glanced at Ed, whose eyes had widened.

“What's wrong, Ed?”

They had taken three more steps. Then as a figure a short distance away raised his hand and fired off a volley of shots, the street erupted into panic as people screamed and dived for cover. It all seemed to happen in slow motion.

Oswald turned to see a gunman in a hooded top, his face in shadow, firing off round after round. The gun was pointed at both of them, and suddenly his criminal past kicked on to override the shock and he dived for the pavement and rolled, still clutching Ed's hand as he dragged him with him. Oswald landed hard, feeling an ache in his damaged leg. His cane clattered to the ground as Ed's body jerked, then he rolled over on his back. An eerie silence descended as in the distance, sirens wailed.

Oswald raised his head. In that moment he saw the shooter still holding a smoking handgun. Then the gunman turned and ran, ducking down an alley.

Oswald sat up, dragging his damaged leg up from an awkward angle. He saw a red, stinging slash on the back of his hand where a bullet had skimmed his flesh. He reached up and wiped blood from the side of his face, that was from diving down to the sidewalk too hard and too fast...

“I guess I'm out of practise... are you okay, Ed?”

_No reply._

Oswald's heart thudded as he turned to Ed, who was on his back, with his eyes closed He had a single puncture wound on the right side of his head, just above his eyebrow. It was a bullet wound. Fear gripped him as he knelt there, grabbing at Ed's jacket as he shook him.

“ _ED! Wake up, look at me, say something....”_ his voice was filled with panic as blood ran from the bullet wound.

“ _Please, Ed!”_

The sirens were getting closer. For a man who had spent several years avoiding the law, he was now glad to hear them coming as he hoped the paramedics were on the way too... _ Ed had been shot. His Edward had taken a bullet to the head and he didn't even know if he was still breathing... _ Panic overwhelmed him as he knelt there cradling Ed in his arms.

“ _Help, please, someone help him!”_ he yelled as tears ran down his face.

 

When her phone rang, Rose saw Oswald's number and smiled as she answered the call. Her smile soon faded and her face paled as fear made her legs buckle. She had heard a strangers voice and the words _her husband was in the hospital, there had been a shooting_... then as she had asked the caller to explain, the nurse had said, her husband was at the hospital, he was very distressed and could she please come right away, because _his_ husband had been shot and had serious injuries. Rose had stammered a reply and hung up. She felt in a daze as she made her way to the kitchen, where Ivy was talking with Gertrude, who was refusing to give her an old family recipe because she said, it was a secret.

“ _Ed's been shot...”_

They both turned and stared at her.

“Oh no...” Gertrude said as her eyes filled with tears, “What about my son? Please tell me Oswald is unharmed!”

“Oswald is shaken up, very upset... he's not hurt. I need to go there right away,” Rose said, “All I know is, Ed has serious injuries. I don't know how or why, but there was a shooting.”

Just then the kids came in from the garden.

“Mommy, why are you crying?” asked Eddie as he stood there with his hair the same shade as his father and an expression on his face that mirrored Ed.

Ivy blinked away tears as she leaned close to her son and explained as best as she could.

“Daddy's been shot, he's in the hospital,” she told him, “We have to wait here, Aunty Rose is going over there to find out how he's doing.”

“ _My Daddy is hurt?”_ Eddie started to cry and Ivy gathered him into her arms in a comforting embrace.

They stood there looking very much the children of Oswald Cobblepot, Ozzie in black jeans with a white shirt and black waist coat, his older sister standing beside him in a black dress, leaning elegantly on her closed parasol. They exchanged an ice blue glance as if telepathy had just passed between them.

“Who hurt our Uncle Ed, Mom?” asked Ozzie, “Can we have a – I mean, do you have a name?”

Rose shook her head.

“I don't know, Ozzie,” she replied, “But you have to stay here...” she glanced to Lilly, “Look after your brother, your Dad needs me, he's very upset.”

Lilly nodded solemnly, then Rose glanced to Ivy. Now she was at the kitchen table with her son, trying to comfort him as he sobbed.

“I'll call as soon as I have any news.”

Ivy looked pale as she nodded. Then Rose hurried to the door, snatching up her car keys as she fought back tears...  _ Ed had been shot? Why? _

“Wait for me!”

Gertrude had hurried out after her.

“My son will need me,” she said.

“I think he's going to need both of us!” Rose replied, then they left the house together.

 

On arriving at the hospital, Rose was alarmed to be directed to a room down a corridor near the emergency department, but when it was explained that Oswald was in distress and had needed a sedative, she breathed a relieved sigh and went in. Her husband was sitting on a bed, he was fully clothed, his jacket was open, his shirt was stained with blood.

“Oswald?” she said tearfully as she hurried to his side.

“It's not mine, it's Ed's blood,” he said quietly as he sat there, his usually spiked hair limp as it hung about his face. His cheek was scratched, there was a dressing covering a wound on the back of his hand.

“My poor boy!” Gertrude exclaimed, and as he looked into his mother's eyes, he became tearful.

“ _Ed's still in surgery. He was shot in the head... Mom, I don't think he's going to make it, they said he might not survive!”_

As he started to cry she embraced him. Oswald was sobbing. Rose put her hand on his shoulder, but he just clung to his mother for solace.

“I'm here for you too,” Rose whispered.

He was shaking as he let go of his mother, then he pushed his hair off his tearful face and turned to her.

“ _I can't lose Ed!”_

Rose saw such desperation in his eyes that it scared her – Oswald had always been so capable. Now, seeing him like this, it was like looking into the eyes of a frightened stranger. Her husband had never been so shocked, so utterly shattered before.

“You won't lose him,” Rose said firmly, “He's strong, he can get through this, he has to get through it. He's got so much to live for – you, his son, he won't give up.”

The door opened and Oswald looked up sharply, hoping for news but dreading it at the same time. But it wasn't the surgeon. It was Jim Gordon.

“Oswald, I'm sorry, and I know this is a bad time,” he began, pausing as he noticed Oswald's tearful face, and how he had taken hold of his wife's hand as his mother kept a gentle hand on his shoulder. He was shaking and looked devastated. He was sure in all the time he had known him, even back in the days when he had been known as Penguin, he had never seen Oswald in a state like this, no matter what had happened in those turbulent times - and it was a real shock.

“I'm sorry,” Jim said again, “But I need to ask some questions. Harvey's over at the scene of the crime, I just need to know what happened and then I'm going to find this guy.”

Oswald barely looked at him, his voice was hushed as he started to speak.

“We left Cobblepot Oil just before four pm... We started to walk away toward the car and then Ed looked back like something distracted him, he looked at me like he was confused... I asked him what was wrong and we'd taken three, maybe four more steps and the shooting started.”

“Did you get a good look at the gunman?”

Oswald glared at him.

“No Jim, I did _not_ because bullets were flying and I dived for cover! I was holding Ed's hand. I pulled him down with me.... I thought he was okay.... _he wasn't._...”

He started to sob again as Rose put her arm around him.

“Did you see his face?” Jim asked.

Oswald's eyes were red and his face streaked with tears as rage burned ice blue in his eyes.

“ _No, I didn't see his face. But you'd better find him before I do! If I get my hands on the man who did this to my Ed, the streets of Gotham will run with his worthless blood!”_

Jim had his notebook in his hand, but kept the pen raised, writing no more as Oswald made that threat. He knew the former head of the underworld couldn't be known to have made a death threat at a time like this. Oswald didn't need trouble, he needed support...

“We will find him,” he assured him, “I'm going to leave now - I can see this is a bad time. I'll come over to the house at a later time and maybe by then, you can remember more. I just need to ask, for the sake of your safety and that of your family – have you fallen out with any old associates in the underworld who might have arranged a hit?”

Oswald wiped his eyes and looked up at Jim.

“I have no enemies these days. And that wasn't a hit, Jim. It was a low powered handgun, six chambers, six bullets. It took six bullets for one to hit Ed. Tell me what kind of half assed hit man would do that!”

Oswald was right. His remark had just sent the case into a new direction – one that so far had no leads...

“You think it wasn't an underworld job?”

“Of course not! An assassin would have fired one shot, a fatal shot. Ed's alive. I just hope he stays that way.”

“Okay, I'll get to work and see what I can turn up,” Jim said, “As soon as I have any leads I'll call. And if you remember anything else, get in touch.”

Oswald said nothing, he just looked down at the floor as Jim left the room, still wrapped up in thoughts of Ed, knowing all he could do now was wait and hope that he pulled through.

 

The hours went on. Oswald called Hugo Strange to beg for his help – and Strange reminded him the terms of that deal he had set up a few years back. At the time, Oswald's deal with the city had been watertight, foolproof and had got everyone exactly what they wanted. But it had also prevented Strange from using his monster making experiments again, he was also banned from bringing the dead back to life. He was forbidden to intervene in anything other than formerly approved treatments – or go back to jail. He told Oswald he wished Ed well, but he could not offer any assistance. Oswald had ended the call and thrown the phone against the wall, cracking the screen. Then it had rung and Rose had answered. It was Ivy, waiting for news.

“There's no news yet,” Rose replied.

“It's been hours! I just want to know he's okay,” Ivy sounded upset, “He's not just my friend, he's my son's father!”

“I know that,” Rose told her, “Just try and stay calm for the kids... how are they doing?”

“I put Eddie to bed two hours ago, Ozzie went up at nine and Lilly's up at the table, making a list of ways to torture the man who shot her Uncle Ed.”

Despite the circumstances, Rose managed a smile.

“She's more like Oswald every day...”

Then Ivy spoke again.

“So the gunshot wound... I know you said it was serious... was it his chest?”

“No, Ivy. He took a bullet to the head.”

Ivy drew in a sharp breath.

“Oh no, poor Ed...” her voice was tearful, “I kept thinking the worst it could be was his chest or maybe his back, I never imagined... oh god, this is bad...Do the cops know anything yet?”

“Not yet,” she replied, “They just started the investigation.”

“Can I speak to Pengie?”

“You can try,” Rose replied, “He's... not too good right now.”

She passed the phone back to Oswald.

“Ivy,” she said.

He raised the phone, there was a look in his eyes that said he was barely in the room and in the moment with Rose and his mother, his thoughts were still with Ed.

“Are you okay?” Ivy asked.

“I got scratched when I dived for the ground... a bullet skimmed the back of my hand. I had a couple of stitches. I can barely feel it, I've gone numb. I can't stop thinking about Ed.”

“I'm thinking about him too.”

An idea suddenly came to mind and Oswald spoke up again, urgently.

“You know how you helped me when I was sick? Couldn't you do the same for Ed?”

“If it was a flesh wound I could give him something to speed healing but there's nothing I can do for this... he's had a bullet to the head, I can't undo brain damage.”

Oswald stiffened as he sat there, his face paled again as the shock of her words hit home.

“Ivy, _shut up!_ Ed is going to be just fine! You're _not_ a doctor, you know _nothing!_ ”

“I was just trying to explain -”

He cut off the call. Then he got up from the bed, grabbed his cane and started to pace the floor. His damaged leg still ached from the dive to the sidewalk but the pain helped to clear his mind.

“There must be something I can do for him...” he muttered.

Rose and Gertrude exchanged a worried glance. They had both seen it; a sudden, sharp change in Oswald. The shooting had pushed him close to a breakdown...

 

It was just gone ten that night when Ed was finally out of surgery. Rose and Gertrude stood beside Oswald as he received the news that the bullet was out, but Ed was not out of danger. The doctors could not predict when he would wake, or how much damage the shot had caused. If Ed recovered, he would have memory loss, he would have lasting weakness, he might never fully recover. There was even a risk that he might not wake at all, the next few days would indicate whether or not he was going to make it. He was warned that if Ed remained unresponsive and there was no hope of a recovery, he needed to be prepared for the fact that in that eventuality, Ed's life support would have to be turned off. Oswald heard it all, but barely took it in because it was too much to think about. He just wanted to see Ed. When he did see him, he wept at his bedside. Ed was pale and unresponsive and had a heavy dressing over a large scar that ran halfway around his head.

“I am _not_ going to lose you!” Oswald vowed. 

 

They stayed at the hospital for the rest of the night, by morning Oswald looked a wreck, his usually well groomed hair was a mess, his eyes were red from crying and he was still in the bloodstained clothing from the shooting.

“We should go home and get some rest,” Rose reminded him. But he was still sitting at Ed's bedside, watching him intently.

“I want to be here when he wakes.”

“He will not wake yet,” Gertrude reminded him, then she placed a gentle hand on her son's cheek, turning his head, making him look up at her as she stood beside him.

“We must go home. You must rest. We will return later,” she told him firmly.

“Okay, Mother,” he said quietly, then he rose stiffly from his seat as his leg gave him more pain, he leaned over Ed and kissed his cheek, then grabbed his cane and reluctantly turned away from his bedside.

 

As they walked away down the corridor Oswald said nothing, his eyes were filling with tears again at the thought of leaving Ed. Anger was building up in his chest like a rising flow of molten lava as he mentally murdered the gunman over and over in his mind. They were almost at the entrance now, and leaving Ed alone here, badly injured and barely holding on, was suddenly too much. Oswald stopped and turned back.

“I can't leave him!”

“Oswald, we have to go home for a while,” Rose reminded him.

“You must rest, or you will go crazy!” his mother added.

Panic swirled in his mind as he shook his head.

“No, I'm _not_ leaving him alone here! _He needs me!_ ”

Suddenly the nightmare events of the day just became too much to bear. That afternoon, he had been laughing and joking and flirting with Ed as they left for home, planning the weekend. Now he was here, Ed was wounded and he didn't know if he would ever wake up again. Oswald gave a sob.

“ _The only time I'll leave Ed is when I have the name of the bastard who shot him!”_ he yelled.

And as Rose and Gertrude stood there sharing the awful feeling Oswald was about to have a complete meltdown, something happened. The door to the entrance opened. As he walked in, Oswald turned around, saw him and took a heavy step forward, right before his legs gave way. He caught him, holding him up in a strong embrace. Oswald pressed his face against his leather jacket and wept. Gertrude and Rose exchanged a glance, both sharing the same thought:

_Thank god, even though he now ran the Iceberg Lounge after being given the place as a gift seven years back, he had not forgotten his loyalty to his former boss. Victor Zsasz was back..._

“I came as soon as I heard about Ed,” he said as Oswald sobbed in his arms like a broken man, “Don't worry boss, I'll find the guy who did this, I'll find him for you...”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

On the way back, Oswald told Victor all he knew. He promised to help by asking around. Someone had shot Ed 'Riddler' Nygma; it was hardly something that would go unnoticed. Someone, somewhere knew something. Rose stopped the car near the Iceberg Lounge and Victor got out of the car, Oswald thanked him with deepest gratitude for his help, then they drove on, heading for home.

Once they arrived, Ivy opened the door looking tired. She had hardly slept the previous night, and all she wanted was to go to the hospital and visit Ed. Rose told her to wait just a little longer, because first, they had to get Oswald cleaned up. Ivy offered to help as she took one look at him and saw he was distressed and clearly in a state of shock, but Gertrude insisted they would cope just fine. As Rose and Gertrude led him up the stairs, Ozzie called out _Dad_ , but Oswald didn't even turn his head and Ivy quickly sent him out to the garden again.

“Not now, Daddy's tired,” she said, then she went outside to watch the kids and to explain to Lilly that her father needed it be left in peace for a while.

 

Rose heard water running in the bathroom, Oswald's mother was trying her best to help persuade her son to get cleaned up, but he didn't even notice as he went to the bedroom and then sat down heavily on the bed, pausing to look to the pillow where Ed had rested his head the day before, when life had still been normal.

“You need to get out of those clothes, you're covered in blood,” Rose reminded him.

He let her slip off his jacket, then she helped him out of his waist coat. When she started to unbutton his shirt, his hands closed over hers.

“I'm not helpless, Rose. I have a broken heart, not broken hands.”

He took his phone from his pocket and placed it next to the bed.

“I'm actually afraid to hear it ring. I don't know what the news will be.”

“No news is good news,” Rose reminded him, then she gave him a tight hug.

“You look so tired,” she added as she gently brushed a lock of hair away from his eyes.

“I feel exhausted,” he told her.

Then his mother called out that his bath was ready. He gave a sigh, left his cane next to the bed and leaned on Rose as they went together to the bathroom.

“Let me help you, my darling boy,” Gertrude said, and Oswald tensed as she started to open up his shirt.

“Mother, I can manage...”

“It's okay, I'll help him,” Rose added quickly, recalling how the last thing he needed right now was the embarrassment of his mother treating him like a small child.

“Then I shall make some tea,” Gertrude said, then as she reached the door, she glanced back at her son, “Make sure you rest after that bath. You need to sleep, there is no sense in you becoming ill at a time like this!”

She left the room and Rose locked the door, then she rejoined her husband as he stood next to the bath and started to open up his shirt.

“You need to wash away the blood,” she said quietly.

“I know,” Oswald replied, then he said no more as she helped him to undress and then climb into the hot water.

As he sank up to his shoulders in water warm enough to soothe away the aches and bruises from the shooting, he gave a sigh as he rested in the bath.

“I remember the last time Ed and I shared this tub,” he said fondly, “He made love to me in the water... I don't think there's a single room in this house that doesn't have our memories...”

“I know you and him like to lock yourselves away in here and take your time,” she said with a smile, then she started to wet his hair and work in some shampoo, he gave a sigh as all tension momentarily left him.

“We have memories like that too,” she reminded him.

“We have wonderful memories...” Oswald paused, shifting forward and tilting his head back as she rinsed away the shampoo then as he settled back again, he was deeply in thought.

“Rose, you know the first time you got pregnant and we lost the baby?”

She was just about to reach for a sponge to wash away a trace of blood from his upper chest , then she stopped.

“What about it?”

There was a sad, almost empty look in his eyes again, the same look she had seen after Ed had been shot, and it worried her. What he said next worried her even more.

“Mother often says that baby is in heaven. Do you think that's true?”

“I don't know, I like to think so.”

“If Ed dies, do you think he will take care of that baby for us, the one in heaven?”

His words had given her a jolt.

“Ed won't die,” she said quickly, “Stop thinking like that, Oswald.” Then she reached for the sponge and started to gently clean the last trace of Ed's blood away from his body.

 

Oswald went to bed after Rose cleaned him up, he slept for ten hours without waking, all the while his phone was next to the bed and it remained silent. Ivy had called the hospital, Ed was still critical. Then she had taken her son and gone to the hospital. Rose had managed to grab a couple of hours sleep next to her husband before Ivy had left, then she had the kids to look after and questions to answer, awkward questions that required thought. Ozzie had asked Rose if Ed would die. He said he wanted to see him while there was still time. Lilly had asked if the cops would be dealing with the gunman – she felt it would better all round if he was brought back to the mansion, alive.

“Then give him to Daddy,” she had added with a gleam in her eyes that matched Oswald in the days of old, “He will know what to do with him... and maybe I can help, too. We'll teach him a lesson for hurting Uncle Ed.”

Lilly was certainly growing up to be a little female Penguin. Rose had told her, the police had to deal with the shooter. Then she had told Ozzie that she didn't know if Ed would survive – of course, everyone wanted him to, but he was very badly hurt. Then Lilly had said she wanted to see him too.

Rose had already had sharp words with Ivy over taking her son to the hospital, after such major surgery Ed wasn't a pretty sight, he was also on life support and she had suggested maybe five year old Eddie didn't need to see that. Ivy had glared at her, telling her he was the father of her child and she would do what she damned well thought was right. Rose still wasn't sure about the kids seeing their Uncle Ed in such a mess, that was something to talk to Oswald about when he woke up.

Rose let him sleep, he was shattered and needed rest. When he woke up, Ivy had just returned for the hospital. She came upstairs, told them there was no change in Ed, then said she was taking her son home. Oswald had sat up sharply, instantly in a panic as he saw the time.

“I need to be with Ed -”

“Rest,” Rose had told him, placing a hand on his chest and easing him back down to the bed.

“I miss him,” Oswald had whispered, then he had grabbed Ed's pillow and pressed his face against it, inhaling his scent. That night Rose slept beside her husband as he slept with his back turned to her, needing to cling to the only comfort he had, it was the only way he could feel close to Ed at this time, the only way he could get through that first, awful night without him.

 

The next few days went by slowly and painfully. Oswald had agreed that the kids needed to see Ed, and they had taken them to visit him. Ozzie had become tearful and Lilly had stood next to the bed and gently held Ed's hand, promising him it would be okay, because they would find the man who had done this.

While Ed was critical, Oswald was constantly anxious and often tearful. Rose quietly worried, and going by the look on his mother's face, so did Gertrude. They were both afraid he was losing his mind. Gertrude feared Oswald's illness several years before had put so much strain on him that he couldn't take any more worry. Rose felt sure it was fear, because every day he woke up wondering if today would be the day he lost Ed.

Then, just after a week of constant worry, Ed stabilised and was able to come off life support. Two days later, he opened his eyes. The whole family were home when they got the news, and for the first time since the shooting, the light came back to Oswald's eyes. He and Rose were on their way to the hospital within the hour.

 

Ed Nygma had woken to a too bright room and a vague ache that quickly turned into pain in his head. He quickly worked out he was in a hospital, and as very grateful for the pain relief that kicked in fast. The doctors had checked him over, someone had told him he had been shot. But he was still alive, he concluded. He tried to speak and his voice was a whisper, his throat felt sore and he was too weak to move. Then he was told his family were on the way to see him. That confused him. He hadn't seen his family for years. Ed rested and waited, searching back to his last memory.

“ _Oswald...”_ he whispered, recalling how he had taken Isabella's murderer to the pier and shot him before watching him sink into the icy waters of the Gotham river. Anger still bit at his heart at the thought of Isabella's murder...

Then the door to his room opened, just as the ache in his head was subsiding and he was ready to sink into sleep. He had closed his eyes as he heard a voice speaking softly.

“ _I've missed you so much, I've been so worried!”_

He felt a kiss on his cheek and turned his head away, still feeling a fog in his head as his heavy eyes stayed closed.

“I got you some flowers, Ed...”

He kept his eyes closed. He knew that voice but his thoughts were too slow and yet to catch up.

“Ed,” his name was spoken tenderly, “Look at me, sweetheart.”

He slowly turned his head, as a ridiculous thought came to mind. _For a moment, he thought it was Oswald speaking. It couldn't be. He had killed Oswald, that was the last thing he remembered..._ Ed opened his eyes. He saw a blur leaning over him and blinked. The blurring began to clear and there he was, in a sharp suit, his black hair swept up into long, elegant spikes, his eyes shining with devotion.

“I love you, Ed!” said Oswald.

Ed struggled to sit up but his body felt too weak. He dragged in a sharp breath.

“No!” he whispered, “No, you're dead... why aren't you dead?”

“Because I wasn't hit,” Oswald told him, “The guy who shot at us hit you. And you took a bullet to the head. That was nine days ago. You almost died...I thought I was losing you!”

Oswald gave a tiny sob and pressed his face against Ed's shoulder as Ed tensed.

“ _Get off me!”_

Oswald heard his sharp tone and drew back as hurt reflected in his eyes.

“I know you're I pain, I just want to be close to you. I love you so very much -”

“I don't love you!” Ed said in horror, “How many times do I have to say it?”

Oswald stared at him.

“What's the last thing you remember?”

Ed's throat still felt sore. He paused to take a breath and looked at him with an ice cold expression.

“ _The day I shot you on the pier.”_

Oswald's jaw dropped, along with the hope in his heart as he realised the shooting had wrecked Ed's memory.

“That was years ago!” he said sharply as he blinked back tears, “That was the year I met Ivy and lost my virginity – my daughter Lilly's eleven years old now!”

The fog was slowly clearing from his mind. All he could do was manage a weak laugh.

“You were a _virgin_ until eleven years ago? I'm not surprised, you're pathetic!”

Oswald stepped closer to him, fighting back tears of anger.

“In the end, we fell in love,” he said in a hushed voice, “After I married Rose. We started a family, I have a son by her – Ozzie. Then I married _you_. I made polygamy legal in Gotham so I could be married to both of you!”

Ed stared at him in horror.

“No, I'd never marry the man who killed my girlfriend!”

“You faced up to your feelings after I became sick,” Oswald told him, “I was very ill a few years back. You realised your true feelings and we got together... _And we've been happy ever since! How dare you take that away from me now!_ ”

Oswald was tearful. Ed was still staring at him. He wanted to think none of it was true, that this was all a little scheme devised by Oswald to try and win his affections... but something was telling him there was more. He didn't want it to be true, he searched his mind and all he could recall was the day he shot him...

“We both have children by Ivy,” Oswald said as he wiped his eyes, “She's your best friend but you had a son by her to give you a blood tie to my dynasty... I'm the most powerful man in Gotham now, I own Cobblepot Oil!”

There was something about what he said that rang true, even though he recalled nothing.

“I don't remember...”

“You have a son, he's five years old his name is Eddie.”

That name seemed to strike deep in his heart.

“I want to meet him. I doubt he's mine, but I'll see him...”

Finally Oswald felt a spark of hope.

“As soon as you're strong enough, you're coming home,” he said, “And you can be back with us, your family. I really do think it will all come back to you once you're home again.”

Ed felt deep mistrust as he looked up at Oswald.

“I don't believe any of this. I don't even believe I've been shot!”

He caught a look in Oswald's eyes that he couldn't read.

“Do you want to see?”

“See what?” Ed took in a sharp breath as a cold sense of dread swept over him.

Oswald reached for a small mirror next to the bed, turned it around and held it up in front of him. Ed gave another gasp, hit by instant shock at the sight of his closely cropped hair, one side had been shaved completely and there was a recent scar, it was huge and ugly and he raised a shaking hand and touched it.

“ _Oh no... no... this can't be real...”_

Oswald put the mirror down.

“Ed, you met me at the oil company, we were walking to the car, someone opened fire on us and you got hit! That was nine days ago!”

He felt a spike of panic as he wondered where the years had gone and why the hell he was married to Oswald, the man who had murdered Isabella. He looked down at his hand and saw a platinum band on his ring finger. He looked to Oswald's left hand, on his ring finger he wore two rings, the first was gold, the second was platinum and matched his own.

“I'm _not_ married to you!”

“Yes, you are!”

Ed coughed and Oswald grabbed a glass of water, then slid his hand gently behind his head as he raised the glass to his lips. Ed drank the water, then as Oswald let go it bothered Ed that there was something familiar about Oswald's touch, tender, gentle, almost familiar... he pushed that thought aside.

“Last thing I recall is shooting you!”

“A lot has changed since then. You're not even a wanted man any more, I own most of this city, I made a deal to secure your freedom!”

“Why?”

“ _Because I love you!”_

“Don't keep saying that!” Ed turned his face away.

Just then Rose came into the room. Ed looked at her, and she seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't recall why.

“How are you, Ed?” she asked.

“Are you the other spouse?” he whispered as he looked at her with mistrust.

“He doesn't remember,” Oswald said as emotion cracked his voice, “Rose, the last thing he recalls is shooting me!”

“The doctor was just telling me about his memory,” Rose replied, then she looked to Ed.

“I know you don't like or trust us right now, but that's because you were shot. You've had a bullet dug out of your brain. Nothing is going to be easy for a while. You're lucky to be alive, Ed!”

He blinked. She had just spoken to him like she knew him very well...

“Please leave,” he said quietly, then he raised his left hand, “Take this _thing_ off my finger. I'm not married to anyone. I certainly wouldn't marry Oswald!”

She stepped closer to the bed, then she slipped the ring off his finger.

“Rose, don't!” Oswald said, but she just passed him the ring and he slipped it on to his own hand, placing it above the other thin bands of gold and platinum.

“You get some rest, Ed,” Rose told him, then she leaned over him and placed a kiss his cheek. He hadn't seen it coming and had no time to turn away.

“Why did you do that, why did you let him take his ring off?” Oswald said to his wife.

Ed shot him a warning look.

“Don't you even _think_ about kissing me!” 

He saw pain reflected in his eyes as Rose took his arm and tugged on it, then told him again to leave him to rest. Oswald reluctantly followed her from the room, and finally, Ed rested alone, his heart racing with a flicker of panic.

“ _This is not real,”_ he whispered, _“It's a bad dream, it has to be a bad dream...”_

But as he lay there, his ring finger felt strangely empty without that platinum band. The reason why felt like quite a tough riddle, but his damaged mind wasn't up to solving riddles yet.

 

“ _He doesn't know me. He's not the Ed I married – he's stuck in the past, Rose!”_

As Oswald said that, he laid down heavily on the bed that used to be so warm with both his lovers to share the space. Ever since arriving home, it just didn't feel like home any more, not knowing Ed had woken up and looked at him with such hatred in his eyes.

Now as Rose joined him, she saw hopelessness in his gaze. The thought that he might be sliding back into despair was unbearable, but clearly, Ed's memory had been damaged. The doctors didn't know if or when it would return; all they could do was wait, and that was more than Oswald could handle.

“I still want him home, as soon as he's strong enough,” Oswald said, “I don't care if he thinks he hates me, what's he going to do about it? He's too weak to start a fight. Some day he's going to look at me and remember everything.”

His eyes were slightly red. He had been crying on the way home. Telling the rest of the family that Ed's memory was gone had been hard. At least Ivy had the consolation that the mention of their son had seemed to ring true, even if he rejected all else that had been said. Gertrude had told her son to be patient, and to please stop the crying, because it would not help Ed. But Oswald was hurt by all he had said to him – for Ed to wake with memories intact of the most painful times in the lives had been too much to take after the shooting.

Outside, the sky was growing dark. The kids were off to bed and the house was silent. Then a vague trace of the sound of Gertrude singing drifted up the stairs as she busied herself, tidying the house before retiring for the night.

Oswald sat up and started to undress, his thoughts still on Ed.

“How can the doctors not know anything? They're supposed to have all the answers...”

“It's too soon,” Rose reminded him. She had already slipped into a short, sheer nightgown and was in bed, waiting for her husband to join her.

“They said to me, his memory could come back – or not. He might be weak and unsteady for the rest of his life – or get over it. They know nothing!”

“I do agree we should bring him home as soon as we can,” Rose replied as her husband joined her in bed, “he needs to be with his family. Most of all, he needs you.”

Every small line on Oswald's usually youthful face seemed deeper at that moment.

“I never thought it would come to this. I thought maybe in twenty years, my leg might get a lot worse, maybe Ed would be pushing me around in a wheelchair. I didn't expect this to happen to him. I can do this, of course I can take care of him...I just didn't see it coming.”

“How could you?” Rose reminded him as she shifted closer and slipped her arm around him, “No one knew this would happen.”

“And the cops haven't found the shooter yet,” he said as his voice darkened, “I want to find that guy. I want it more than anything, I want to see his blood spill -”

“Stop it,” as her hair trailed his chest, her hand was cool on his cheek as she looked into his eyes, “Of course you want him dead – but if you do that, if you get caught, you're locked up forever and then we lose you.”

Revenge was still burning in his mind, he had killed enough men during his career as a high profile criminal to know one more death on his conscience was nothing at all. When it came to Ed, no revenge would be too great and neither would the size of the personal sacrifice, if it meant evening up the score... But that was not something he cared to share with Rose.

He lifted the covers back, exposing the hem of her gown. It skimmed her thighs, it was almost transparent and as he gently pushed it up and exposed her sex, she gave a sigh.

“I've neglected you, I've been a terrible husband.”

She ran her fingers through his hair as she met his gaze.

“You had Ed to worry about.”

“I'm still worried.”

She parted her lips to speak but he silenced her with a kiss, as he slipped a hand between her legs, feeling the heat of her body as she instantly soaked his fingers. Oswald's eyes darkened with desire.

“Turn over, Rose...”

She caught her breath, feeling an exquisite ache as she realised he was taking her from behind, something he rarely did, but he needed the intensity of it, something to take his mind off his worries, he needed to be rough, to mix pleasure with pain. He was missing Ed like crazy and wanted to blow his mind to temporarily fix that.

She shifted position, and as soon as she was up on her knees, she gave a gasp as his fingers slipped inside, then out again, then he moved upward in a swift movement, pushing two wet fingers into her. It felt tight but she was turned on enough to give a low moan, then he swore under his breath as his bad leg slipped and he dragged it up again, then his hands were on her hips. He entered her with a firm thrust, gasping at the tightness of her ass. As he panted and moved quickly, impatient to reach his peak, she reached down, stimulating herself as every thrust became pleasure instead of bordering on pain. She heard him pant as her body jerked with his movements, then he gave a sharp gasp, throbbing inside her. As she lost control and cried his name, he separated from her, then pulled her into a weak embrace and kissed her.

“I love you, but I miss Ed,” he said, and she saw tears in his eyes.

“I miss him too,” she promised, “He'll be home soon...”

Oswald rested with his head on her shoulder as she stroked his hair. He stifled a sob but kept his face turned away, not wanting his wife to see him weeping after they had just had such an intimate encounter. He wanted to love Rose as much as he always had, but even after this, he felt no closer – instead, he felt guilty for making love to her with such passion while Ed was still in the hospital. As Rose slept, Oswald stayed awake, his thoughts with the man he loved as his heart ached for all he was going through, and his arms ached to hold him again.

 

A few days later, after turning up no information on the man who had shot Edward Nygma, Jim and Harvey decided to pay a visit to the mansion, in the hope that perhaps Oswald could recall more about the shooting. They entered the estate by the front entrance, then drove around to the back, to first speak with Ivy.

As they got out of the car, Harvey looked up at the large, palatial home that was almost half the size of the Cobblepot mansion, then he saw the huge greenhouse to the side of it, that building was impressive...

“Let's hope someone's heard something,” he said as they went up to the front door, “This is crazy, Jim – how can someone shoot a guy as well known as Nygma in a city like Gotham and there's not a whisper on the streets about it?”

Jim rang the bell.

“I know, it doesn't make sense,” he agreed.

The door was opened by a small boy, his hair was the same shade as Ed's and he wore glasses. His t shirt was decorated by question marks and he looked up at the visitors and smiled as Jim showed his badge.

“Can we speak to Ivy?”

“Yes, come in, she's with the plants,” the little boy said, and he let them in and closed the door behind them.

“You must be Eddie Nygma, Ed's son,”Jim said, “How is your Daddy?”

Sadness reflected in the child's eyes.

“He's hurt very bad. But Mommy said he's coming home as soon as he's better.”

“Well I hope that happens soon,” Jim said kindly. For a brief moment he thought back to the old days and the chaos Riddler had once caused in the city. Then he looked down at Nygma's son, reflected on how their lives had changed and felt an ache in his heart for this poor kid – Nygma had taken a bullet to the brain, he might never recover enough to be a father to this boy again. Eddie looked at Jim thoughtfully.

“Do you have a bad leg?”

“No, why?” he asked.

“Because if you do, my Mommy will give it a magic rub, then give you a bath, then you have to help her with the plants all night. But it's very hard I think you have to go up the ladder and hold the big tall trailing one up to the roof so it can grow, but it's hard work and takes all night.”

“I don't understand, about the plant?” Jim asked.

Eddie explained.

“I once heard Mommy talking to my Uncle Oswald on the phone, she said if his leg hurts, he has to come over and get a magic rub and then she gives him a bath.”

“And how does he help her with the plants?” Jim wondered, feeling utterly confused.

“Then I heard her say to him, she's got some plant stuff that will keep him up all night, very hard. Then she turned around and told me not to listen when grown ups are talking.”

Harvey has a smirk on his face as he turned to Jim and lowered his voice.

“What are my chances of getting some of Ivy's magic rubbing if I fake a bad leg?”

Jim looked away, hiding a smile.

“Oh jeez, this family,” he muttered, hiding his amusement.

Just then Ivy joined them.

“What can I do for you?” she asked, “Is there any news on the shooter?”

“Unfortunately not,” Jim replied, “I was wondering if maybe the family has heard anything through street contacts? I realise Oswald would be very reluctant to give up that kind of information if he could take personal revenge, but I am trying to keep this strictly a police matter.”

Ivy shook her head.

“This is the weird part,” she replied, “No one has heard anything. Pengie asked a very old friend to ask around but so far he's come up with nothing. It's crazy to think Ed could get shot and no one knows who or why.”

“Does Ed have any enemies?” Harvey asked.

“Not any more,” Ivy replied, “Penguin worked hard to drag both their names out of the mud when he bought the oil company. Do I need need to remind you, times have changed, _and_ they are _both_ fathers now?”

Ivy was glaring at him.

“We were just asking,” Harvey added, “We have to ask these questions.”

“How is Ed?” Jim asked.

“He's lost a large chunk of his memory, he doesn't remember me – I went to see him a couple of days ago. I didn't take Eddie with me in case he pushed him away, but I showed him his picture and he seemed to vaguely recognise him. He doesn't trust Rose, or Gertrude. It's Pengie I feel sorry for, Ed talks to him like he hates him, he blames him for everything. Ed's memory seems to be stuck years back, around the time they were enemies. So as you can imagine, visiting him isn't a great experience. Pengie leaves in tears every time.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Jim replied, “And if you do hear anything at all about the identity of the shooter, be sure to give me a call.”

“Whatever, “ Ivy replied as she walked to the door and opened it for them, “I think we both know who I'm telling first if I get a name – Pengie's entitled to revenge. You haven't seen Ed. That bullet wrecked his life!”

“And I'm hoping Oswald won't break the law because of that,” Jim replied.

As they stepped out on to the porch, Ivy closed the door. Jim turned to Harvey.

“I guess we should go up to the main house now.”

Harvey looked down the long, winding path that led to the Cobblepot mansion.

“Okay, let's go see Gotham's very own Addams family,” he replied, and they began to walk down the path towards the house.

 

Rose opened the door when Jim knocked, and she greeted him and Harvey with a polite smile. The two men couldn't fail to notice how her blue dress clung to her curves. They had just been treated to the sight of ivy looking stunning in a short skirt, her legs seeming to go on forever as she stood there, tall curvaceous and ever so slightly hostile towards the cops. But Rose, she _always_ smiled.

“Do you have any news?” she asked as she invited them in.

“Sorry, but no,” Jim replied, “It's a complete mystery so far – no one seems to know anything about the shooting. No one can even suggest a name because he had no known enemies on the street.”

“Where's Oswald?” Harvey asked.

“He's visiting Ed,” she replied, “The past few weeks have been hard. Oswald is very worried, on top of that he has to spend half the week at the oil company, he's letting work slide... I don't blame him, though. He said Ed comes first. We're hoping he can come home soon. The hospital said maybe three more weeks. Oswald wants him home now. He won't be happy until Ed's back. I've never seen him so depressed.”

“Has Oswald mentioned anything new about the shooting? Has he remembered anything else?”

Rose shook her head.

“He told you everything he knows. The only person who might have seen the shooter's face is Ed – and he can't remember anything. His last recollection is back in the days when he hated Oswald. He's lost twelve years. We don't know if he will ever get his memory back.”

“I'm truly sorry,” Jim replied, “And we won't give up on this case.”

“Thank you,” Rose replied, “Ed might suffer because of the shooting for the rest of his life, you have no idea how this has affected us all. We need some kind of closure.”

“And I'll do my best to give you that,” Jim promised, then he and Harvey left the house and walked back towards the car.

 

As they reached the car, they both felt a jolt at the creepy sight of the Cobblepot children, Ozzie and Lilly, both dressed in black and standing beside the vehicle. Their ice blue gaze was fixed on the approaching cops, as Lilly stood beneath the shade of her black lace parasol. She spoke up as Jim and Harvey joined them.

“Have you caught the man who shot my Uncle Ed?”

“Not yet,” Jim replied, “But we will.”

“You'd better make it soon,” Ozzie added, “Get him, before someone else gets hurt.”

Harvey looked down at Lilly, thinking how she was the image of her father. He didn't doubt when she grew up, she would be like Oswald back in his Penguin days. He could see it in her eyes, that kid would be trouble one day.

“I expect you and your brother are very upset about your Uncle Ed,” he said, “It must be difficult for all of you.”

Lilly nodded.

“When we heard the news, my mother and Auntie Rose were very upset. My baby brother cried. Ozzie was upset too. My Grandma is worried about my Dad. So am I. He cries a lot. You'd better catch the man who shot my Uncle Ed. Do it soon, please. I just want my family to be okay again.”

“We are trying very hard,” Harvey promised her.

“You can rely on us,” Jim added.

Then they got into the car and drove away.

Lilly stood there, watching as the car left the grounds of the estate, then she lowered her parasol and turned to her brother.

“Ozzie, I don't think the cops can find this guy. So it's up to us,” she said, “You and I must find the would be assassin. And then...” she hit a button and a sharp blade slid out from the tip of her parasol and she smiled as her eyes shone ice cold.

“Cool blade!” said Ozzie.

She hit the button again and retracted it, then closed her parasol and leaned on it in an elegant pose.

“Thank you, dear brother, I fashioned it myself. And we shall test it out on the man who shot our Uncle Ed. All we need is a name...”

Ozzie's eyes narrowed as he glanced at his sister and thoughts of revenge filled his mind.

“The sooner the better!” he agreed.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

Rose: ' _The weeks went by. Ed had started to heal, but his progress was slow. By now, after showing him pictures and reminding him of the past, he was starting to believe us when we said he was part of our family. But he was cold as ice towards Oswald. That first memory on waking after the shooting, recalling the day he had tried to kill him at the pier, had stayed with him. Oswald had told him many times that he had not intentionally murdered Isabella, he had also said Ed had forgiven him long ago, but Ed refused to even try and think back._

_By now he had seen Eddie, and thankfully not pushed his son away. Ivy had led him over to him and Ed had looked down at him doubtfully and asked, Are you really mine? Ivy didn't lose her temper, thankfully. But it wasn't easy for any of us._

_Gertrude was running out of patience with her son, she was sick of seeing Oswald in tears every time he visited Ed, because he blamed him for everything. And I just wanted my husband to be happy again. But it wasn't over – our struggle was only just beginning, and it started the day before Ed came home from the hospital...'_

 

As Oswald heard the knock at the door, he paused by the mirror in the hallway, ran his hand over his hair, then cast a gaze over his suit.

“What is going on out there?” Gertrude demanded as she peered through the lace curtain to see a large gathering of press outside the mansion.

“Oswald?” Rose demanded as she joined them.

He turned his head and met her gaze.

“If the GCPD are not trying hard enough, perhaps some negative press will shame them into action!”

“You didn't call the press?”

“Yes Rose, I did!”

As Lilly and Ozzie came out to the hallway, Rose turned around and held them back.

“You are _not_ going out there!” she said sharply, “Go to your rooms, this is Daddy's business!” then she glared at her husband, “You're not helping matters by doing this!”

“I happen to think it's the way forward,” Oswald replied, “Excuse me Rose, the press awaits me!”

Rose and Gertrude exchanged a disapproving look as Oswald opened up the door and stood on the porch of the mansion, facing the sea of press.

“I called you here today because I am desperate for justice!” he announced as the reporters fell silent and listened as the city's former mayor spoke, “Five weeks ago, my beloved second spouse Mr Edward Nygma-Cobblepot was shot by an unknown assailant outside Cobblepot Oil....” he paused, casting his gaze about the crowd who stood before him with their cameras and their notebooks and their recording devices, “Edward came close to death, he was shot in the head and even now, his chances of a full recovery remain uncertain. I am begging the people of Gotham to come forward if they know the identity of the shooter...” He blinked as his eyes filled with tears, _“Ed didn't deserve this. He has a family who love him and we want justice! The GCPD are getting nowhere with this case, a man's life has been ruined and they don't care!”_

Suddenly questions were being fired at him.

“Do you feel the police department are not prioritising this case?” asked one reporter.

“Yes!” Oswald said as a tear ran down his face, “It was attempted murder and the gunman is still out there!”

Then as a TV camera was turned towards him, a female journalist spoke up.

“Mr Cobblepot, if the gunman is watching this, what do you have to say to him?”

Oswald drew in a breath as his eyes filled with tears again.

“ _If you're out there, if you're watching this, you've done a terrible thing!”_ he wept, _“My Edward is suffering, he could suffer for the rest of his life because of your bullet! He didn't deserve what he's going through, I don't deserve this either! Our lives have been destroyed!”_

Then another journalist asked a question.

“Do you believe someone out there might be shielding the shooter?”

“ _I don't know,”_ Oswald said as he leaned on his cane and used his free hand to wipe his eyes as emotion took over, _“But I am begging for help with this! If anyone out there has information, come to me, tell me who did this to my Ed!”_

As more voices raised and cameras flashed and film crews shot live footage back to the TV news stations, all Oswald heard was a mass of raised voices as more questions were raised and all he could do was stand there and sob. Then Rose put her arm around him and led him back inside and closed the front door, shutting out the sound of the crowd.

“This isn't going to help,” she said.

Oswald sniffed and wiped his eyes again.

“I had to do something, the cops are getting nowhere! What am I supposed to do, sit back and let the man who shot Ed get away with destroying his life – _our_ life together? _I have to find that bastard! I want to kill him!_ ”

Rose had no reply to his outburst. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her husband and he clung to her, weeping softly against her shoulder.

 

After receiving a lecture from Gertrude about stirring up bad feeling with the police department, Oswald went upstairs to lie down. Then his mother brought him some tea and ordered him to rest. But he couldn't rest. His phone rang, and he answered it to find Jim Gordon on the end of the line.

“I just saw you on TV,” Jim said, “Thanks a lot, Oswald! We're trying our best and you're making us look incompetent!”

Oswald sat up, anger flashed in his eyes as he gripped the phone tightly.

“Maybe it's because Edward and I are ex cons,” he said bitterly, “Is that why his life means less to you than the other attempted murders you've worked so hard to solve over the years?”

“That is not true, and you know it!”

Oswald was still fuming as he spoke again.

“His life means everything to me even if it means little to you! Please do your job and find the man who shot him – or I will!”

Jim paused, then he spoke again, carefully spelling out a stark reminder.

“If you find this guy, if you kill him and you get caught, you're back in jail. It will make everything you worked for meaningless, and you won't be there to help Ed! Don't do it, Oswald! I've already heard Victor Zsasz is asking questions, he's searching for the gunman. I _know_ he's working for you again! You need to leave this to us!”

“Then I suggest you do your job, Jim,” Oswald said darkly, and he ended the call.

Then he gave a heavy sigh and laid back down on the bed, feeling weary to his soul. The only ray of light escaping into his dark world was knowing Ed was coming home tomorrow. He was still weak, he would need a lot of care – and he still hated him. But at least he would be home again...

 

After the negative press handed to the GCPD by Oswald Cobblepot, Jim was impatient for a result on the case – if only to prove Oswald's theory wrong, and to restore public faith in the police department. But there were no leads. It was crazy to think in a city like Gotham, a once notorious man like Edward Nygma could be gunned down and no one anywhere knew anything about it...

Jim had looked at the theories from all angles; both Nygma and Oswald potentially had enemies everywhere due to their past – but Harvey had spent hours out on the streets, asking around and finding the same answer Jim had got – no one had an axe to grind with either of them. Any grudges had been either sorted out or fought out a few years back. Oswald was now the owner of Cobblepot Oil, he had a lot of power in this town but so far hadn't made any new enemies along the way. His old underworld associates still regarded him with esteem, many had expressed sympathy over the shooting. So Jim was now looking at other possibilities – a lone gunman, someone who perhaps had a grudge that went back many years.

If someone wanted to find Ed, it wouldn't be difficult – he was now Edward Nygma-Cobblepot, and it was common knowledge he was married to the owner of Cobblepot Oil, the man who had once been known as Penguin, who had also been the mayor of Gotham. This was assuming the target had been Ed. There was still a possibility the shooter had intended to hit Oswald...

Then as Jim was going over details of the shooting again, there was a knock on the door of his office and a cop came in and told him someone wanted to see him. That someone was Victor Zsasz...

“What can I do for you, Victor?” Jim asked as he entered his office.

“I've got a theory about the shooting,” Victor replied, “I haven't said anything to Penguin yet, because obviously he's on the hunt for the gunman. If I'm right, I don't think he will choose to carry out any kind of personal revenge. This is why I'm coming to you first – I need to see the CCTV of the shooting to see if my theory fits.”

“What's your theory?” Jim asked.

Victor fixed his dark eyes on him.

“Show me the tape first,” he demanded.

A few minutes later they were sat on the same side of Jim's desk, and Jim replayed the CCTV of the shooting.

“The gunman was standing by the wall in a blind spot where the cameras couldn't reach, it's right by the alley where he made his get away,” Jim said.

Victor watched the grainy footage as shots were fired and people ran in panic. He saw Oswald hit the ground and pull Ed down with him, just as the last of the shots caught Ed's skull. Jim paused the tape and looked at Victor.

“What do you think you know?”

Victor was still looking at the screen. He gathered his thoughts then turned to Jim.

“Without incriminating myself, you're aware of my role in Penguin's life back in the old days. _I know about guns._ I also know the shooter isn't on the CCTV anywhere, so he worked out where the blind spot was, so he could follow them for a short distance then open fire. First of all, the gun: It was an old, low powered handgun, six bullets, a revolver... a very basic weapon. Not the weapon of choice for anyone who knows about guns and wants to kill someone.”

Jim had been listening intently.

“Okay, I agree with that – the gun wasn't high powered, that's why Nygma's still alive.”

“And then there's the angle of the shots,” Victor added, “If the shooter is aiming low and pointing the gun upward, the bullet that hit Ed should have hit the top of his skull, not the back. I think the person who fired it followed them with the gun concealed and then tried to fire without being noticed until the shots went off. But witnesses said the shooter had raised the gun.”

He looked at Jim, waiting for a reaction. Jim shook his head.

“So his aim was off...”

“No,” Victor replied, “It wasn't just off by a fraction – those bullets hit cars and were dug out of walls. This is someone who has never fired a gun before. I've seen people pick up guns, amateurs... they can't shoot straight, let alone hit a moving target. That shot that hit Ed? It was a fluke. The gun was in the hands of someone who knew nothing about weapons.”

Everything Victor had said made perfect sense.

“But this still brings me no closer to the shooter's identity,” Jim reminded him, “Even if your theory is right, without a lead this case goes cold.”

“I don't think the shooter was deliberately aiming from a low angle,” Victor added, “I think the gunman might be a woman. Or even a kid -”

Jim shook his head.

“Kids who grow up in this city have heard stories about Penguin and Riddler. Half of them probably admire them!”

“That gun is the kind of firearm a woman might keep in her purse,” Victor added, “It's a small, low powered, old fashioned revolver. It's not a gun to shoot if you want to be sure of killing someone. Were there any prints on the bullets?”

“None,” Jim replied.

Victor got up from his seat.

“I don't know how much of my theory is right. But I do know you need to start looking at all possibilities. If it is a woman, as mad as he is about the shooting, I think if Oswald finds her first, he'll be calling you. He's convinced there's a dangerous assassin out there who tried to kill Ed. He's wrong, but I know I'm on to something.”

“If your theory is right, I hope I can prove it,” Jim replied as he got up, then he briefly shook his hand.

“Thanks for sharing your thoughts.”

“But if I'm wrong and there is some crazy guy out there, I won't be taking that information to you,” Victor added, “Obviously, I'd take it to Penguin first.”

Jim let that remark slide. He had seen first hand the devastation that bullet had caused, not just to Ed, but to those who loved him. He didn't blame Oswald for wanting revenge, he just hoped if he took it, he wouldn't leave evidence behind, because he had too much to lose if he was faced with a murder charge.

“If you think of anything else, be sure to let me know,” Jim added.

“I might, it depends what I find out,” Victor replied, then he left the office and closed the door behind him.

Jim sat down at his desk and played the tape again as he considered Victor's theories. The height of the shooter and the fact that the weapon was considered a woman's gun, and an old fashioned kind, was something to bear in mind. He still didn't know where to start, but Victor had given him plenty to think about...

 

Oswald's mood had crashed from happy at knowing Ed was coming home, back down to sadness once more as Ivy left alone to bring him home from the hospital.

“I wanted to be there,” he said as he looked sadly into the spare room, where Rose had made the bed and opened up a window to let in some fresh air.

“You know how he feels about you,” she reminded him as she placed a vase of flowers next to the bed, then she moved it over to the dresser.

“I think I'd better leave the bedside table empty,” she added, “He's got a lot of medication to bring home with him...”

“I don't want him sleeping in the spare room!”

Rose turned around and met his gaze, seeing frustration and sadness in his eyes. Oswald looked to the bed, then back at Rose.

“He should be in our bed, with us!”

“Not yet,” she reminded him as she walked over and joined him, “He doesn't remember. Until his memory improves, he's not going to want any closeness with you. I'm sorry, but you have to accept that.”

Oswald took a deep breath, pulling back on his emotions as he stayed determined not to cry today, not when Ed was due home so soon.

“Rose, he's going to need help. He's weak, he gets dizzy, sometimes he can't make it to the bathroom in time. How is he going to cope without me? I'm here for him and all he wants to do is push me away!”

“I'll help him,” Rose replied, “And if he doesn't like it, I'll remind him he's lucky to be alive after what he's been through. I'm not taking shit from him, Oswald. I know he's suffered – so have we! He responds better if you remind him of the reality of this situation.”

“Don't talk sharply to him,” he said, “Please, Rose?”

The look in his eyes made her heart ache. She placed her hand softly on his cheek as she met his gaze with deepest love. His hair was hanging flat, his shirt was partly unbuttoned, he looked tired, too.

“Why don't you go and get ready? You want to look your best when Ed comes back. I'll bring him upstairs and make him comfortable. Then maybe you can try talking to him.”

Oswald leaned closer and gave her a brief kiss.

“That's a good idea.”

He leaned on his cane and turned away, then left the room. Rose stood there alone in the spare bedroom, silently wondering if Ed would have been better off staying with Ivy – he barely spoke to her since the shooting and still didn't recall their friendship, but at least he was polite to her – she had already snapped at him when he snapped at her, and then he had apologised. He recalled no links to any of them, at least nothing meaningful. As far as Ed was concerned, he was coming home to a strange house full of people who meant nothing to him – except for Oswald, who he remembered only as someone he hated...

Rose heard a car pull up in the driveway. Ivy was back...

 

Rose went back downstairs to open the door, pausing to take a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy. Ed didn't remember his own family and worst of all, didn't even want to be here. But she would make it work, she had to, because Oswald couldn't bear to go through more pain after the dark times they had been through. She stood at the open door and watched as Ivy got out of the car, then she opened the passenger door and Ed got out. He paused to cling to her arm as a moment of unsteadiness caught him, then Ivy led him up to the front door.

“Welcome home, Ed,” Rose said, and she smiled.

Ed stood there stiffly, regarding her through his glasses with a suspicious glance.

“I would like to go straight to my room, please,” he said, and as he entered the house, he glanced at the children who had run into the hallway.

“Welcome home, Uncle Ed,” said Lilly.

“I'm glad you're back,” Ozzie added.

Ed turned his head and looked at Ivy.

“Where's my alleged son?”

Anger flashed in Ivy's eyes.

“Alleged? He _is_ your son!”

“So where is he?” As Ed looked about the hallway, he felt a vague ache in his heart as he felt some kind of bond with Ivy's kid. He missed his presence, but still wasn't sure if she was telling the truth when she said Eddie was his child.

“He's with Gertrude,” Ivy said sharply, “I decided not to have him here when you came home in case you reject him. He's five years old, I'm not sure how much more rejection he can take from his own father before mental scarring kicks in!”

“I apologise,” Ed said quietly, then he looked away, “I should to go to my room. I need to rest.”

“I'm collecting Eddie and then I'm going home,” Ivy said to Rose, then she walked off down the hallway.

“I'll take you to your room,” Rose said, and Ed followed her to the staircase and looked up. The layout of the house was starting to feel vaguely familiar, but no memories came to him of time spent here. Rose walked beside him as he gripped the stair rail and went up slowly, taking his time as he feared a sudden dizzy spell. They reached the top of the stair case and she led him straight to the spare room, where he sat down heavily on the bed and gave a tired sigh.

“Do you need anything?” she asked.

“No thank you,” Ed replied stiffly, looking away from her.

“Do you need any help?”

“No, Rose,” he said, and now he sounded tense.

“I'll fetch your bag form the car,” she told him, then she left the room.

As she closed the door, Ed drew in a nervous gasp of air as he looked about the room, feeling strangely out of place as he wondered why the hell he had ever chosen this life with this family and most of all, why he had married Oswald. His only lasting memory was shooting him, and all the reasons for it. Anything beyond that was lost in a haze and he was glad it was lost.

“As soon as I'm stronger, I'm getting out of here!” he muttered, then he sat in silence, feeling uneasy as he recalled nothing of life in this house except for a strange sense of deja vu. All he could be sure of was the fact the many years had passed by since he shot Oswald on the pier. But what had happened in that missing time was lost to him, and he felt sure he would never recall it...

 

Rose returned to the house with Ed's bags, as she hurried back upstairs she saw the door to the master bedroom was open, and she went quietly past Ed's closed door and joined her husband.

“How do I look?” Oswald said as he stood before the mirror and brushed down a purple silk waist coat, then threw on a black jacket.

“You look great,” Rose assured him, then as she stepped closer she caught the scent of his cologne.

“He may not appreciate you yet – but I do.”

“I'm not finished yet,” Oswald replied “I still need to fix my hair.”

“I'm going to give Ed his bags and then go and see what the kids are up to,” Rose replied, “I might take them over to Ivy's for a while, Ed needs peace and quiet.”

“Leave the bags, I'll take them to him,” Oswald replied.

She saw a hopeful look in his eyes and her heart ached.

“Don't expect him to remember,” she reminded him, “You need to get used to the way he is. It could take months or -”

“Please don't say years.”

“Just don't get your hopes up,” she reminded him, then she kissed him fondly and left the room.

Oswald turned back to the mirror and reached for his comb, then he began to sweep up his hair into long spikes, taking his time, wanting to look his very best for his Edward.

 

Ed had felt a deep sense of exhaustion sweep over him as he sat down on the bed, then he had shifted the pillows and leaned against them, feeling a vague ache in his head as he wondered why Rose was taking so long to bring his stuff up to his room. He needed his pain relief. Then as he shifted the pillows again, he noticed something had been placed beneath them. He drew out a photo album and opened it up.

Ed turned the pages slowly, seeing pictures of him and Ivy and a baby in his arms, then he saw a photo taken outside in the grounds of the estate, he was standing with his arm around Oswald and smiling for the camera. Oswald had leaned close to him, his head touching his shoulder with an expression of absolute contentment in his eyes. He turned the page and saw a picture of him, Oswald and Rose.

“No, this can't be my life...” he whispered, then he closed the book sharply and pushed it back behind the pillows. He didn't know who had put it there, but he had no intention of looking at it again – there was no point in seeing pictures from a life that meant nothing to him. His head ached and he tried to sit up, but exhaustion had caught him again.

“Hurry up, Rose!” he said in a low voice, glaring towards the closed door as he wondered how long he would have to wait in pain for her to finally show up with his medication.

Then the door opened and Oswald walked in, he was wearing a fine suit and his hair was groomed and he carried with him the scent of a cologne that seemed familiar in a way that jolted Ed's emotions, for a split second he recalled pulling him close and remembered the scent of his cologne, the heat of his skin, then he caught his breath in alarm, pushing away the shard of a memory as he looked at him and felt only coldness.

“I'll unpack your things,” Oswald said.

“Leave my stuff alone!” Ed told him sharply, “Just give me my meds and get out!”

Oswald left the bags on the floor and took out the medication, then he placed the bottles of pills next to the bed.

“It's about time!” Ed said angrily as he snatched up the painkillers and opened the bottle. Then he stared at Oswald.

“Water would be useful?”

“Of course, I'm sorry...” Oswald leaned on his cane and turned away, leaving the room.

As Ed waited for him to return and pain throbbed deep in his scar, he felt his resentment rising. He searched his damaged memory and recalled every fight they had ever had, then he tried to think beyond shooting Oswald at the pier. He recalled the day he had rejected him, that had been before the shooting. Then a memory flashed to mind: He had turned up at the mansion, his heart breaking as he had... _fallen to his knees and begged Oswald's forgiveness?_

“No!” he said breathlessly as panic kicked in, “No, that can't be right....”

He was still wondering what could have possibly prompted him to behave in such a way when Oswald returned to the room and placed a glass of water next to his bed. Ed snatched it up and took two pills quickly, hoping the meds would kick in fast.

“You must have known I still get pain, why did you take so long to bring my meds up here?”

“I was getting ready to see you! I wanted to look my best for you, my suit, my hair -”

The pain was fading out as Ed glared at him.

“How selfish and typical of you,” he said angrily, “But I guess _you_ can afford to spend time on your appearance, it's going to be a while before I can do that.”

Oswald looked at him, feeling instantly guilty – Ed's hair had grown back enough to cover his scar, but it was painfully short and he didn't doubt he missed the time he used to spend grooming in front of the mirror.

“I'm sorry, Ed. That was insensitive. I apologise.”

“Get out,” Ed replied, then he settled back against the pillows and gave a heavy sigh, paused to take off his glasses and place them next to the bed, then he closed his eyes. But he didn't quite feel alone.

“Are you still here?” he asked suspiciously, then he opened his eyes again. Oswald was still standing in the room, looking at him sadly.

“ _If you can't remember what I once meant to you, try and recall who shot you!”_ he said as emotion choked his voice, _“At least allow me the satisfaction of killing the bastard who destroyed us!”_

Real pain and heartbreak reflected in Oswald's eyes. Ed tried to think back to the shooting, but remembered nothing.

“I don't recall being shot,” he said flatly, looking away, “Leave me alone, go and fuss over your hair, Oswald. You'll never be lonely as long as you've got a mirror to keep you company...”

As Oswald looked back at him, he wanted to speak but words failed him as he blinked away tears. He turned around sharply and hobbled out of the room, closing the door behind him.

 

The house felt silent and empty with the kids and Rose over at Ivy's, and as he walked away from Eds room, Oswald had never felt lonelier. He was still thinking about how Ed had spoken so harshly, as tears filled his eyes again.

“Oswald, what is wrong?” Gertrude had asked that question as she walked towards him, the hem of her long, flowing lilac dress trailed elegantly as she made her way over to join him in the upper hallway.

“Ed truly hates me, Mother! I took my time getting ready to greet him and he accused me of caring more about my appearance than I do about him!”

Gertrude looked into her son's eyes as her gaze filled with compassion.

“Oh my darling son, he is not himself, when he remembers everything he will know how much he adores you and then he will regret his words!”

“No,” Oswald said, “He's right. I was very insensitive today.”

“And when was the last time he was considerate towards you? That bullet to his head has changed him! It is not his fault but you must stop this weeping over him!”

Oswald fell silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

“Wait here for a moment,” he said, then he turned away and went into the bathroom.

“What are you doing now?” Gertrude demanded. As her son emerged from the bathroom once more, he had a look of determination in his eyes.

“I need your help,” he said, and she shot him a look of confusion as he led the way towards her bedroom.

“Oswald, what is going on?” his mother demanded as she followed him inside and he closed the door.

“I need your help with something I can't do myself,” he said, and went over to her dressing table and sat down in front of the mirror, leaning his cane against the table as he looked at her through the glass as she stood behind him.

“What help do you need?” she asked.

Oswald placed an electric razor on the table.

“Ed was very hurt that I spent too much time on my hair...He can hardly do the same at this moment. So I want you to cut my hair, cut it all off.”

She looked at him in horror.

“I will _not_ shave your beautiful hair!”

As she stood beside him, she reached down, cradling his face in her hands as he looked up at her with tearful eyes.

“I can't do it myself. I need you to do it for me!”

Gertrude drew her hands back from his face, then placed one on his shoulder as her other fondly stroked a soft tendril of his black, spiked hair.

“I will not do that to you, Oswald. I could not, it would break my heart.”

“Please, Mother! I just want to show Ed I'm trying to share what he's feeling when he looks into a mirror.”

Gertrude paused for thought.

“I think it will not make Ed feel better. But it would make _you_ feel a little better?”

“I just want to do this for Ed.”

“Then I will do this for you,” she said, “But _not_ like this,” and she picked up the razor and set it aside, then opened up a drawer and took out scissors and a comb.

“I will not shave your hair,” she said, “But I will cut for you, I shall cut it nicely. You will still be my handsome son, I shall cut it shorter - by the time it is grown longer, Edward's hair will also be longer. I think it will take maybe a couple of months. Perhaps he will be a lot better by then.”

As she ran the comb through his hair and picked up the scissors, Oswald tensed. His mother met his gaze through the mirror as she stood beside him, about to make the first cut.

“Are you sure?”

Oswald swallowed hard. He had never had his hair so short before, and knew he looked as nervous as he felt.

“Yes.”

She closed the blades and two inches of a jet black spike fell into his lap.

“Are you still certain, my darling?” she asked gently.

“Yes, Mother, I am very sure about this.”

She ran the comb through his hair again, carefully cutting as she began to speak.

“Now,” she said, “You are making this gesture for Edward, so you must also stop the crying! If he is cold towards you, let him be cold. If he insults you, remind him that you love him.”

“How do I do that? He hates me.”

She carried on carefully cutting his hair as she spoke again.

“If a man came along and stole Rose, what would you do?”

He looked into the mirror in surprise.

“Rose would never look at another man!”

“But if she did, if he stole her from you, what would you do?”

As she stood there beside his chair, she saw his eyes burn with fury in the mirror.

“I'd kill him and dump the body in the river!”

She combed his hair again and then resumed cutting.

“Of course you would. So why are you letting the man who fired the gun take your Edward away from you? What are you going to do about it, my clever son?”

A spark of realisation came to his eyes and to see it, lifted Gertrude's spirits.

“I'm going to fight for him!”

“Yes, you are!” she agreed, then she set down the scissors and comb and brushed away fallen hair from the back of his collar. As she placed her hands on his shoulders, he looked into the mirror as new found determination shone in his eyes. His mother had cut his hair shorter, but he could still spike it up a little. It wouldn't take long to grow back, and he could still make the gesture he wanted to make to Ed.

“You still look very handsome,” she told him, “And Edward is lucky to have you. Now you must make him realise that!”

He got up from the chair and reached for his cane, then leaned on it as he turned towards his mother. She smiled proudly as she looked into her son's eyes.

“I once said you would be somebody in this town, and now you are,” she reminded him, “A great man like you can easily overcome difficulty. You have not lost him, he is simply drifted from you. Now you must bring him back.”

Oswald smiled as his eyes shone with joy.

“That's what I'm going to do! Thank you, Mother.”

He gave her a tight hug, then kissed her cheek before letting go again, then he turned away and leaned hard on his cane, heading quickly for the door as new determination shone in his eyes:

_His mother was right – he hadn't lost Ed. He just needed to remind him he was loved and refuse to give up, no matter how hard Ed resisted..._

 

On the other side of the vast grounds, Ivy leaned out of the kitchen window, her long hair whipping up at the ends as it caught on a cooling breeze. The first leaves were starting to turn with the season and as she saw Eddie watching as the older children started to climb, a look of annoyance came to her face.

“Kids,” she called out, “Treat the poor tree with some respect, please!” then she closed the window and went over to the kitchen table and sat down with Rose.

“I have something to show you,” she said, and she reached for a small pile of letters and pulled out a white envelope.

“What is it?” Rose asked.

“I picked up the mail today,” Ivy replied, “And I found this at the main gate and it didn't look like the usual sort of mail we get, so I opened it... by the way, it's addressed to Pengie, not me. But I figured that he's got enough to deal with - and I guess my instinct was right. Take a look at it.”

She passed the envelope to Rose. It was already opened, and Rose reached inside and pulled out a card. It was white with blue flowers at the edges, and in the centre of the card were the words _I Apologize_. Rose opened the card and began to read the neat, flowing handwriting within:

_'Dear Mr Cobblepot, I am writing to you to apologize for my actions. I saw you on the news and you were crying. I don't know you but I'm truly sorry for the pain I caused you and your family. I heard in the news that the police believe the gunman might have been targeting you. That's not true. My target was Edward Nygma, former criminal and former employee of the GCPD's forensic department. I just wanted to confirm that it was personal. I thought by shooting him I would right a wrong but I see now all I have done is cause more pain. That was not my intention. I didn't consider the bigger picture. Perhaps I am no better than Mr Nygma. You said the shooter has wrecked his life. Seeing you so devastated and crying on TV made me realise I've done a terrible thing. Maybe revenge is never the right thing to do. If I could go back to that day I would change it. I am truly sorry. I hope some day if Mr Nygma recovers, your family won't suffer any more. Please try and accept my apology, I don't know what else to do.'_

Rose paled as she looked at Ivy.

“Oh my god... this guy is owning up to the shooting? What the hell does he mean, he's sorry? He fired off six rounds deliberately!”

“I know, I thought that too – what a sicko,” Ivy replied, “There's no way he's sorry because he saw Pengie crying. He's mocking us.”

Rose looked at the writing again.

“I don't know...maybe not. He's saying he doesn't know Oswald. He says the target was Ed and he's going back a very long way...”

“Back to the days when Ed became Riddler,” Ivy agreed.

Rose was still studying the card.

“He mentions it twice, about Oswald being upset... This might sound crazy but maybe the guy _is_ sorry... it's almost like he didn't think before he did it.”

Ivy shook her head.

“Everyone knows what happens if you point a gun at someone and pull the trigger multiple times! He's either scared of getting caught, or he's laughing at us.”

“I think I should show this to Oswald when I get home,” Rose replied.

“Are you sure? He's been going crazy worrying about Ed.”

“What's the alternative?” Rose asked, “This is a lead the cops could use. But I know Oswald needs to see this..”

“You're right. Ed's in no position to take revenge but Pengie can easily pull it off without getting caught.”

Rose felt a brief flicker of worry as she considered the worst outcome... no, her husband was too smart to get caught...

“I have to give this to him,” she replied, “I don't like the idea of him doing anything risky, not after all he's worked for – but I couldn't forgive myself for holding it back.”

Then she fell silent as she read the card again. There was something odd about it, something very off about the whole wording of the message, but she just couldn't decide whether it had been written by a man who was truly remorseful, or if it had been composed by a dangerous psychopath who was enjoying the devastation he had caused. But it wasn't up to her, she was decided now - the matter would rest in Oswald's hands, he would be the one to decide what to do next...

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

As Oswald approached the closed door to the spare room he paused, remembering all his mother had just said – he had to play this differently now – no matter how Ed reacted, he would not allow himself to break again...

Then his phone rang. He took it from his pocket and saw it was his secretary.

“Work can wait...” he said dismissively and cut off the call.

It rang again. Oswald stabbed at the answer button impatiently.

“What is it?” he demanded, “You're aware most of my time is taken up due to family circumstances. And this is _not_ a good time, my partner has just come home, he's recovering from a bullet wound -”

“I'm sorry Oswald, “ she replied, “But the press have been calling, they want a response from you. One of your off shore rigs caught fire today.... it was definitely an accident, from what I hear.”

“We have plenty more rigs,” he replied.

“ _And_ there was enough time to evacuate the workers, thankfully,” she added, “Mr Cobblepot, are you okay? This is a real disaster for the company, you don't seem to understand -”

“I understand that I employ capable staff to handle business for me,” he replied, “And you know how to handle the press. I'll call you tomorrow!”

He shut off the call, then gave a heavy sigh. This was the worst time for the company to have a crisis – but if the press wanted a comment, they would have to wait. At this moment, Ed mattered more than making money...

He opened the door to Ed's room. Then he stood there leaning on his cane, looking to the bed. Ed was still leaning against the pillows, but now he was undressed and sleeping on top of the covers wearing a bathrobe. He looked so peaceful and relaxed. In that moment Oswald took in the silence of the room, broken only by the sound of Ed's breathing. _He was really through the worst of this, he was home where he belonged..._ He closed the door quietly, went over to the bed and carefully sat on the edge of it, placed his cane against the bed and then turned around to face Ed.

“It doesn't matter what you say to me,” he whispered as he gently ran his fingertips over the hair that covered his scar, “I'll still love you, Ed...”

Then Ed stirred from sleep, turning his head as Oswald drew his hand back, hoping not to wake him. Then his phone rang and he grabbed it, turned it off and put it away.

“ _What are you doing in here?”_

He turned back to Ed, who had just woken. He was looking at him like he was the very last person he wanted to see, but Oswald brushed that aside. Like his mother had said, he couldn't let the gunman win. He wasn't going to lose Ed because of the damage done by that bullet – he was going to be strong, he was going to fight for him.

“I wanted to see you,” Oswald replied, “So I sat here and watched you sleeping.”

“How creepy,” Ed replied, “And now you can get out and stay out.”

“ _No.”_

Ed stared at him. He stiffened as Oswald looked back at him, unaffected by his harsh words.

“I want you to go!”

“ _I'm not going.”_

Ed felt a confusing swirl of emotions.

“You know I'm weak, you know I need to rest. Leave me alone, Oswald!”

“No, I can't do that,” he replied, “I know you can't remember us, but I do. And I want you back, Ed. You're the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Ed sat up and glared at him.

“You are making my recovery _very_ difficult! There is no us, I don't remember ever being close to you...” he stopped abruptly, blinking as he looked at him intently.

“What did you do...”

Instinct took over as Ed raised his hand, briefly touching Oswald's hair.

“Why did you cut it?”

“So I take less time in front of the mirror and have more time to look after you,” he replied, “Like you said, it will be a while before you can spend so much time on grooming. It seemed selfish of me to not make some kind of gesture to show that I understand how you feel.”

Ed felt confused again as emotions clashed together as he looked at Oswald. A sudden memory flashed to mind, pulling him close and running his fingers through his spiked hair. He recalled the feel of it, the scent of it, the warmth of his closeness and his masculine scent mixed with cologne and the heat of the moment... Suddenly he needed to hold him.

“Oswald...”  
“What?” he asked.

Ed grabbed him, wrapping his arms around him tightly as a look of surprise came to Oswald's face. Ed was still holding him, then he reached up and ran his hand over his hair.

“Don't ever cut it so short again,” Ed told him, pressing his face against his cheek then inhaling the scent of him as memories of touching his dark spikes flooded his mind, “I loved your hair the way it was...”

Oswald's eyes widened as he felt his heart skip a beat. But then Ed let go as confusion took over once more.

“I'm not sure why I hugged you,” he said, looking away, “Please go, please let me sleep now.”

Oswald got up, reached for his cane and smiled brightly.

“Sleep well, Ed,” he told him, “Maybe when you've rested, more will come back to you!”

Ed said nothing in reply but as Oswald left the room and the door closed he felt an ache in his heart, as if he was suddenly aware of feeling lonely without his company. It was confusing as he tried to recall more memories but found nothing. He gave a heavy sigh and closed his eyes again, needing sleep, his only escape from confusion.

 

As Oswald reached the bottom of the stairs, Rose was walking towards him, and she had an envelope in her hand.

“You need to see this – why did you cut your hair?”

He smiled as his eyes shone with triumph.

“I wanted to let Ed know I understood how he felt. And he's just hugged me!”

“He did?”

“Yes... then he asked me to leave him alone so he could sleep, but I got a hug, Rose!”

“That's great,” she replied, and she was still looking at his hair. He ran his hand over it, suddenly missing his long spikes.

“Mother cut it for me. She didn't want to, but I pleaded with her. Anything to make Ed feel better.”

Rose handed him the envelope.

“I hate to ruin your good mood,” she said, “But this came in the mail today. Ivy thinks it might be from the gunman – I agree too.”

Oswald drew out the card, opened it and read the message inside. His eyes narrowed as tension took over and his gaze darkened.

“ _He doesn't know me? Oh, he'll get to know me very well when I catch up with him,”_ he said in a low voice, _“He'll understand exactly why Penguin was so feared as head of the underworld! And he's sorry? He will be very sorry when he's choking on his own blood for what he did to Ed!”_

“Oswald, slow down,” Rose said, and for a moment she saw murder in his eyes, then the look was gone as he listened, “I've read this message carefully and I think there's a lot to go on.”

“There's no name. All I can assume is that it's someone from a few years back. That could be anyone.”

“No,” Rose replied, lowering her voice as she realised Ed didn't need to catch any of this if his door was open upstairs, “It's very specific. Look at it: He says he doesn't know you. He refers to Ed by the name Nygma, not his married name. He mentions his time in forensics.”

Rose looked at him. Oswald looked back at her, knowing what she was suggesting at a glance.

“No, I don't care if the guy is linked to the GCPD, I'm _not_ handing this to Jim! I'm entitled to my revenge.”

“Did Ed have any enemies when he worked for the police department?” she asked.

Oswald shook his head.

“I don't think so, I don't recall any.”

Rose was still thinking on the matter. She silently ran over everything Oswald had ever told her about Ed's past, in the days before his psychotic condition was under control.

“He killed some guy over Kristen Kringle, you once told me he had a fit of jealousy and -”

“Don't mention that,” Oswald said in a hushed voice, “He doesn't need to be reminded of the past. Keep your voice down, he might hear us!”

“I'm just thinking, maybe someone waited a long time for revenge. And then there's Kristen -”

“She's dead!”

“Maybe someone close to her decided to wait. Some people wait years before they take revenge.”

“No,” Oswald replied, sounding very sure, “He killed her by accident. They had a fight, killing her was the very last thing he intended. That episode in his life was a real tragedy. He's told me about it a hundred times.”

“Then who shot him?” Rose was out of ideas.

“The gunman has contacted us once. He'll do it again, either he's scared or he feels true remorse, or he's getting off on this. But he won't stop at mailing a card, he wants attention...” Oswald's eyes darkened again, reminding her of the powerful criminal he had been when they had first met, “He _will_ get my attention,” he vowed, “As soon as I know his name, he's a dead man...”

Then the phone rang. Rose turned away to pick it up.

“No, leave it -” Oswald began, but it was too late.

Rose listened, she looked confused, then alarmed as she turned back to her husband.

“The press are on the phone. They said one of your rigs caught fire and they're waiting on your reaction.”

Oswald took the phone from her, then as the reporter started asking questions, he felt a thousand miles away from concern for the oil company.

“I didn't know about the rig until my secretary called me,” he said, “Obviously I'm relieved it was evacuated before the fire took hold. It's believed to be an accident, I don't have any more details.”

“Is there a safety issue with your company?” the reporter asked.

“No, there is not!” Oswald said angrily, “And why are you making such a big deal out of this? I thought your big story was my partner's shooting! We are still dealing with that as a family. That's why I'm not overseeing the running of my company personally! Why don't you forget about the rig and run another front page story about Edward, the man who shot him is still out there!”

As he carried on speaking angrily about the shooting, Rose was staring at him. He slammed the phone down and saw the look on her face.

“They need to get their priorities right,” he said, “Ed comes first!” then he noticed she looked worried and he took a deep breath, forcing his anger to simmer down.

“Don't look so worried, Rose. I'm okay,” he assured her as he forced a smile.

 _No, you're not,_ she thought silently as he leaned on his cane and hobbled away in the direction of the kitchen. Clearly, Ed's shooting had affected him more than she had first realised. It wasn't like Oswald to let business slide or to become so consumed with revenge that it eclipsed all else. He would never let something he had built up so carefully risk the potential of falling apart...

In that moment, she realised he was far more traumatised by Ed's shooting than she had first thought; It had been clear he had been devastated when it had happened, but obviously, he was still affected by it. Thoughts of killing the gunman had taken over his life. She didn't know what to do about this, but finding the right moment and speaking to his mother seemed like the best course of action...

 

The next few days passed by under a cloud for the Cobblepot family. The media was full of stories about how the owner of Cobblepot Oil seemed to have little regard for his company or for safety of his employees. Share prices were falling, the company was heading for trouble – but Oswald had brushed off that news as if it would simply fade away from the eyes of the press. While he waited for the gunman to make his next move, he was also spending more time with Ed, who had not hugged him since the day he returned home, but had at least stopped being so hostile. To Oswald, every small thing that he saw as positive gave him hope that Ed would regain his memory.

Rose stayed silent, saying nothing to her husband about her concerns as she waited for the right time to talk to Gertrude. That time turned out to be when the kids were out playing and Oswald was upstairs running a bath for Ed. She walked into the dining room and found her polishing the silver cutlery.

“I need to speak with you privately,” she said.

Gertrude saw the look in her eyes and put down the silver, then she joined her by the window.

“What is wrong?” she asked.

“I'm worried about Oswald,” Rose said, “He's letting the business slide, he's obsessed with finding the man who shot Ed – I'm scared that if he does find him, in his state of mind he could get clumsy and get caught. It's not just his need for revenge. I'm worried he's having a breakdown.”

Gertrude took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

“Oh Rose, my son is not losing his mind! Never forget how he rose to power in this town. When a powerful man feels powerless, it is difficult. He will not rest until he takes the life of the man who shot his love. And he will not be happy until Edward remembers their life together. At a time like this, he is struggling. Have faith in him. My son will make everything right.”

“I hope so,” Rose replied.

Gertrude smiled.

“He will be just fine,” she promised, “I know this; I know my son, the kind of man he is. Let him handle this his way, he may seem lost at times, but he knows what he's doing, you can be sure of that.”

Rose took those words to her heart as she hoped Gertrude was right.

“I hope he does know what he's doing,” she told her, “I've never seen him quite like this before.”

“And you just want your husband back, you want him happy again.”

Rose nodded.

“Yes,” she replied honestly.

“That is something we both want,” Gertrude replied, “And things will work out, just have some patience, my dear.”

 

Upstairs, the bath was full of warm water and scented bubbles.

“Ed, your bath is ready!” Oswald called out, then he turned towards the door, instantly surprised at the sight of Ed standing in the doorway and looking much better.

“Thanks,” Ed replied, then he walked over to the bath, looked to the water then to Oswald.

“I feel I've been rather harsh lately and I'm sorry. It's difficult, but I now realise I'm significant in this household. I'm not sure if I can recall the details, but -”

“That's wonderful!” Oswald said as hope shone in his eyes.

“I may start spending more time downstairs,” Ed added, “I'm feeling stronger now, I still get dizzy but it's nothing like it was. I can't spend all of my time alone my room.”

“ _It's not your room,”_ Oswald said quietly.

As Ed looked at him, he looked away. Ed used that moment to take off his robe, then he got into the bath and laid back, giving a sigh as the warm water covered him.

“I think maybe I used to sleep with you and Rose.”

“Yes, you did.”

As Oswald laid his cane aside and carefully knelt down next to the bath and paused to adjust his damaged leg, Ed looked at him in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm going to sit here on the floor,” Oswald told him, “And if you'll let me, I'll do for you what you did for me when I was sick.”

Those words seemed to tug at his memory, but as he met his gaze, he couldn't quite recall it, even though the reminder that Oswald had once been very sick was strangely painful to his heart.

“What happened?” he asked.

Oswald picked up a sponge and began to gently bathe his shoulders.

“I had a rare inherited disease that ran in my family. I became very sick, until Ivy came up with a cure I thought I had very little chance of surviving. When I was weak you used to bathe me and then put me to bed, sometimes you'd lay beside me and hold me. You made me feel safe even when I was in pain.”

Ed recalled deep worry for Oswald, it felt like he had been powerless to save him... then he suddenly recalled a strange dream that had broken his sleep more than once over the past week. Until now he had stayed silent but suddenly, he needed to speak about it.

“I had a horrible nightmare...” he took in a sharp gasp of air as the dream flickered in his mind. But Oswald was still bathing him and his touch was gentle and soothing below the water, moving over his chest and then down his body, making it easier to voice it aloud:

“I keep seeing you dead in this metal coffin, it's like you're frozen... and I feel such loss, it's terrible!” he gave another gasp and blinked away tears, “I don't even know why I'm so distressed...”

“It wasn't a coffin and I wasn't dead,” Oswald replied, “It was a cryogenic chamber. My time was running out. I was frozen alive to wait for a cure, but then Ivy stepped in and saved me.”

“It was real? _No.. that's quite enough, not there.._.”

Oswald realised his hand had strayed too far below Ed's waist and he pulled back from the water and laid the sponge aside.

“Do you remember what _else_ you did to me in this bathroom?” he asked cautiously.

As he laid there, Ed's gaze was on the surface of the water, and as a sudden memory fell into place, he laughed softly.

“What are you thinking about?” Oswald asked.

“ _The day I nearly killed you.”_

He saw amusement in Ed's eyes as he turned his head and looked at him. Oswald felt a sharp jolt as he wondered if Ed had slipped back into hating him again. It had taken so long to gain his trust, to try and rebuild memories...

“Please don't start hating me again.”

Ed laughed again.

“No, I just recalled.... “ there it was again, playing over in his mind and it still amused him, “Oh yes... I recall you going under the water!”

“Ed, _stop_ this!” Oswald saw the look in his eyes, such amusement reflected there as he recalled the day he shot him, that he felt like he was losing him all over again.

“But I remember what I did to you!” Ed said in surprise.

“You shot me and left me to drown in the river. I remember it too. Please don't mention it again, it's _not_ funny!”

Ed realised the misunderstanding as he laughed again.

“No, not that – in here, in this bath tub... the day I almost killed you.”

Oswald stared at him feeling utterly confused.

“What do you mean?”

As the memories had flickered through his mind, it had left Ed surprised and amused and now it felt like a small crack was opening up in his heart, allowing feelings that had turned cold to begin thawing as he looked into Oswald's eyes.

“We...Oh wow, yes we did, I can remember it... in _this_ bath tub, Oswald!”

They had shared a lot of moments in this bathroom.

“What happened?” Oswald asked.

Ed chuckled.

“I was making love to you... no, that wasn't making love, it was way too passionate. I was fucking you. I got so carried away with the moment I didn't realise your head had gone under the water! I thought all the splashing was pleasure until I looked down and saw you'd slipped under! I grabbed you and pulled you up and you coughed up water and said I almost killed you!”

Oswald was staring at him. He recalled that too, it had happened a few years back, when they had been slightly drunk and very clumsy and far too turned on to be fooling around in that much water... _He_ remembered _that?_ As hope filled his heart, he wasn't ready for what Ed said next.

“I definitely remember that day,” he said, _“The day I almost killed my little Penguin!_ ” then he froze, taking in a sharp breath as sudden emotion made his eyes sting with tears.

“Oh dear... I think I remember feeling something... rather _deep_...” he added.

“You always called me that,” Oswald said as his voice trembled, “Your little Penguin...”

Ed sat up in the water and took a slow breath as he forced himself to calm down. He wanted to cry, he felt as if so much emotion had flooded his heart it was almost too much to take.

“You can leave me now,” he said suddenly, “I can manage on my own.”

Oswald struggled to get up. As he watched him reach for his cane, Ed wanted to get out and help him. He had suddenly recalled how much pain Oswald suffered with his damaged leg. Ironically, after sitting on that hard floor for so long, at that moment, Oswald needed more help than he did. But he was up now, and even though memories were starting to come back, he wasn't ready to reach for him and show affection.

“I'll wait for you and help you downstairs, when you're ready,” Oswald said.

“Thanks,” Ed replied quietly, then he laid back in the water for a short while longer, blinking away tears as more memories hit him:

He recalled begging Oswald to forgive him, then he remembered their first kiss, the pain of fearing he would lose him when he fell sick and the absolute joy he had felt when he recovered.

“ _My little Penguin...”_ he whispered, but even though he ached to hold him, he didn't feel ready to make that first move. His mind still felt slow and awkward, and for now, he couldn't voice his feelings aloud.

Another memory had just hit him, he recalled back when Oswald was sick and he had taken care of him, he was specifically recalling how he used to bathe him and then get him hard and kiss him deeply as he used his hand on him in the water. Then Oswald would look into his eyes and whisper that he loved him. Back then, Ed had hoped that love would keep him going forever. Even when he had been very weak, before Ivy had cured him, their passion had never faded away...

The memory of him and Oswald and this bath tub had just made him solidly erect. Then more memories began to float about his mind, each one bringing their own emotions, and suddenly all he wanted to do was get out of the water. He wanted to hold Oswald, his arms ached at the thought, but instead he stood up, climbed out of the bath and then reached for a towel and paused to wipe away his tears before he got dried off. Lost memories were coming back now, and it was almost too much to handle. He certainly wasn't ready to share that yet, not with anyone, not even with Oswald...

 

Later as Ed sat downstairs in the front room, the fire blazed warmly and the room felt cosy. Dinner had been quiet, but as he took his place at the table, he had not felt like a stranger any more. Several times his gaze shifted to Oswald, but as he sensed it and turned his head, Ed looked away.

After dinner, Oswald had sat with Rose on the sofa as outside, the night sky darkened. Then the outdoor lighting had detected movement and the lights had come on, just as Lilly opened the door and stepped into the room. She lowered her parasol as leaves scattered in with her, she was wrapped up in a black coat with black feathers on the collar and Rose smiled warmly to see the little girl penguin come to join them.

“Where's your Mom?” she asked.

“She's at home with Eddie,” she replied, then she smiled at her Dad, “I came over to give Uncle Ed a present.”

“That's very thoughtful!” Oswald said warmly.

Ozzie had been sitting on his favourite chair, watching TV before bed and he looked up at his sister.

“How come I didn't get to give him a present?”

Lilly glanced at her brother.

“We can meet in the den tomorrow and make some plans,” she said, giving him a secretive look that he returned.

Rose picked up on it right away.

“What den?”

“It's just the old barn at the back of the estate,” Lilly replied, “Don't worry, Auntie Rose, it's safe.”

“Safe?” she said in alarm, glancing to Oswald, “I don't want the kids playing in there. It's old and dangerous.”

“I'm sure Lilly is more than capable of playing safely,” Oswald replied, “You worry too much, my love.”

“You don't worry enough about anything!” Rose replied, and he shot her a look of dismay, but then Ed spoke up, as he looked to Lilly and felt a warm glow in his heart. He remembered her now – she was Oswald's eldest daughter, from a one night stand with Ivy... She was just like him, too.

“What have you got for me?” he asked.

She went over to the armchair where he was resting and handed him a drawing. He looked at the picture and smiled. It was a drawing in coloured pencil, of the grounds of the estate and her family standing in it.

“Let me get this right, that's you,” he said, pointing to the girl in the black dress, “And your brother is next to you... The little boy is Eddie and the two ladies with red hair... that's your mother, and the other one is auntie Rose... And you have Daddy next to me! I like this! But what's this? Why is there a body on the ground in a puddle of blood?”

A spark of satisfaction came to her ice blue gaze.

“That's the bad man who shot you. That's what he's going to look like when we catch him!”

Gertrude was sting in a corner by the fire, she looked up from her knitting and caught Oswald's eye.

“She is like you,” she murmured, “In _all_ ways, Oswald...”

Ed smiled as he dismissed Lilly's remark about catching the bad man.

“You don't need to worry about that, Lilly. And thank you for my drawing. I'd like to see Eddie soon... not today, maybe in a couple of days when I'm feeling better. I'm starting to remember him, and you and Ozzie. I'm sorry I couldn't recall you before.”

Lilly stepped closer and gave him a hug. Oswald was watching in surprise – clearly, Ed's memory was improving. It felt like a miracle.

“Eddie misses you, we all have,” she told him, then she turned away and looked at her father.

“Before I go home, I really want to go to the kitchen and make you some tea. Is that okay?”

“You really don't have to do that, I'm fine,” Oswald told her.

“No, no... Mom said you're very stressed, so I want to make you some tea, Dad. I insist!”

Rose and Oswald exchanged a glance.

“That's really sweet of her,” Rose said.

Oswald smiled as love reflected in his gaze.

“Okay sweetheart, you can make me some tea. And thank you for being so kind.”

Lilly left the room, heading off to the kitchen.

“Ivy's been telling the kids I'm stressed?” Oswald said in surprise.

“You have been through a lot,” Rose reminded him, then she shifted closer to him as they sat together, and briefly gave his hand a squeeze, “You've been through almost as much as Ed, just in a different way.”

He was slightly annoyed, and it showed on his face.

“I really don't want any fuss,” he replied, “Ed's the one who has been through hell, I'm just fine.”

“And I'm feeling guilty for causing all this worry,” Ed said quietly.

“It's not your fault, Ed. It's the bastard who shot you, he's to blame!” Oswald's gaze had darkened and his voice taken on a murderous tone.

“Ozzie,” Rose said quickly, “It's time for bed,” then she shot her husband a warning glance as if to say, _no more talk of revenge in front of the kids..._

Rose and Ozzie left the room and moments later Lilly returned and set her father's tea down on the coffee table.

“It's just for you, Dad,” she told him, “Drink it all, and you'll feel better.”

Oswald gave her a hug.

“I'm not sick,” he reminded her, “I've been worried about Uncle Ed, but I'm okay. Please don't concern yourself with my well being. I'm okay, Lilly. And thank you for the tea.”

She smiled.

“Goodnight, Dad,” she said fondly, kissing his cheek.

After saying goodnight to her grandmother and Ed, she left by the back door and headed for home. Oswald drank the tea slowly, thinking how kind his daughter had been to make it for him, then he set down the cup and saucer and looked over at Ed.

“Do you want to go to bed -” he stopped abruptly, Ed had fallen asleep leaning back against the chair.

“Leave him to rest,” his mother said softly, “You go up to Rose and have an early night. I shall watch over Ed. I think he is getting better, and that is all down to you.”

Oswald smiled as he leaned on his cane and got up. He quietly passed by Ed's chair, not wanting to wake him, then paused to kiss his mother's cheek.

“Goodnight, Mother,” he said quietly, “Be sure to let me know if he needs help with the stairs.”

Gertrude smiled proudly at her son.

“He will be just fine, he is healing thanks to you,” she promised him.

 

Oswald left the front room and hobbled towards the staircase. The hallway was softly lit and partly in shadow, but then something moved and he stopped abruptly, blinking as he wondered if the dim lighting was playing tricks on his eyes:

_There it was again, the glimpse of a skin-tight gold dress, the sparkle of gold on stiletto shoes... It couldn't be..._

He froze for a moment his jaw dropped as his eyes grew wide and shock rendered him speechless. It was her, it was Fish Mooney, she had just stepped out of the shadows and now she stood on the staircase. She beckoned to him with a sharp manicured finger, then turned her back and began to go up.

Oswald followed her, leaning hard on his cane as he grabbed at the stair rail, wanting to get to the top fast to ask her how she was still alive and why she was here.. _and_ how she had got into his house...

When he reached the top of the stairs, she went into the bathroom. He hurried after her, went inside and locked the door.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he whispered as he looked into the eyes of the woman who had once owned and bullied and dominated him. Their bitter rivalry came flooding back, along with the fear of her that had never really left him as he recalled the pain of his shattered leg all over again.

But Fish just stood there by the bath, looking coldly at him.

“You're... _dead_...” he whispered.

“I assure you I'm very much alive!” she said sharply, and as he reached her, she stepped closer and he caught his breath, his eyes wide with fear as she glared at him.

“Look at you,” she said mockingly, “The umbrella boy who conquered the underworld and then walked away and became a legitimate businessman... You thought you were so clever buying the oil company... Now it's slipping through your fingers! You've lost your edge, and next you'll lose that wife and that husband of yours...You're useless, you will screw up, you're already wrecking the oil company...” her hand slid to the back of his neck and she ran her fingers through his hair as he tensed and gave a gasp, “Remember where you belong, Oswald... tell me, where is that?”

Her hand slipped around to his throat as she gave a gentle squeeze that reminded him of all the times she had dominated and bullied him. Even before they had been rivals, back when he had worked for her, she had treated him like shit and it was all flooding back...along with other memories, the ones regarding  _ exactly _ what she expected from the man who held her umbrella...

“ _I said,”_ she hissed, _ “Where do you belong?” _

“At your feet...” his voice trembled as she let go of his throat.

A slow smile spread across her face as she saw fear in his eyes.

“Remember that day in the club after closing time, when I made you kiss my feet and then I raised my dress and teased you until you begged for it?”

“And then you said no,” he whispered.

She was walking around him slowly circling, making him feel powerless.

“And then what happened?” she asked with a cruel gleam in her eyes.

“Please don't remind me...”

She stopped circling and leaned close.

“ _Say it!”_

He dragged in a breath and obeyed her, keeping his voice down as his face flushed.

“You made me kneel in front of you and take my pants down and you told me to pleasure myself... you watched me...”

“And then what happened?”

Anger flashed in his eyes as he felt the stirrings of an erection and hated himself for getting even vaguely turned on by her torment.

“ _You watched me come and then you laughed and told me to clean up the mess, and you walked away!”_

“And that is all you will ever be,” she told him, “A pathetic umbrella boy with no self control... that wife of yours would never give you that kind of treatment. You'll always miss me. As for Ed, what use will he be now he's had a bullet to the head? Face it, Oswald – I'm the best you ever had and I'm gone. Your life is a complete failure!”

“ _I am still the most powerful man in Gotham and I love both my spouses!”_ he said sharply, “I _never_ loved you!”

The door opened. He turned sharply to see Rose in the doorway with a bewildered look on her face.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Fish Mooney!” he said angrily, turning back – but the bathroom was empty.

“Fish has been dead for years,” Rose said quietly as concern filled her gaze.

Then Oswald stared at her long, red hair.

“Your hair looks so bright, I can see lights in it...” Oswald whispered, then he blinked and her hair stopped glowing and he felt slightly dizzy.

“I think you should call Ivy...” he said as he broke into a sweat, “I'm hallucinating... I think I know what's happened... Don't blame Lilly, I once said it was Ed's _happy powder_... she thought it would make me happy too...”

Anger flashed in her eyes as she grabbed her phone and called Ivy.

“Hey Rose, what's up?” Ivy said.

Rose watched as Oswald turned away from the window.

“Make her go away... I can still see her... she keeps teasing me and laughing at me...”

“Did you hear that?” Rose said angrily, “Lilly put some of Uncle Ed's _happy powder_ in her dad's tea to kill his stress!”

“Oh, right... awkward...” Ivy replied.

Rose was fuming.

“Get over here with the antidote!”

“It's a mild plant based substance, it wears off in about forty minutes... Sometimes when Ed comes over for the evening, after the kids have gone to bed, he takes a hit, it makes him see riddles.”

“And it makes Oswald see Fish Mooney!” she said angrily, “I thought Ed stopped taking hallucinogenics years ago! When did he start again?”

“He's never really stopped,” Ivy said reluctantly, “But at least my stuff is safe and wears off fast. It's not addictive either. You can't blame Lilly – she saw Ed put some in a drink once and Oswald said it was his happy powder.”

“And Lilly thought she'd give some to her dad to get rid of his stress,” Rose guessed.

“This sounds like Lilly, she was trying to be thoughtful. I'll talk to her in the morning, we can't blame her.”

“Damn right we can't,” Rose said angrily, “Don't you _ever_ make up that shit for Ed again! I don't want him getting high again, not under the same roof as the kids!”

“It's not a dangerous drug, Rose – it's a harmless plant extract. Oswald will be just fine, give him another ten minutes...”

“He'd better be okay!” Rose said angrily, then she ended the call.

Oswald had splashed his face with water, but he was still perspiring as he looked to Rose.

“I'm fine. She's gone now... I need to lie down, come with me.”

As he grabbed her hand and led her out of the bathroom, Rose noticed he still seemed a little hyped.

“Are you sure you're okay?” she asked.

Oswald turned back to her as he started to smile.

“I'm fine,” he promised, “Seeing her and hearing what she said about the oil company has reminded me I need to start saving the business. And I have a another idea too. Come with me, I'll tell you about it.”

He kept a tight hold on her hand as he led her into the bedroom, then over to the bed, where he pulled her down as his eyes burned with passion.

“Slow down!” Rose said.

Oswald was already on top of her, pressing urgently against her with a solid erection.

“Let's have another baby!” he said excitedly.

“That's your idea? The business is in trouble, Ed's recovering from the gunshot and you want to have another baby at a time like this?”

“Yes! It's a brilliant plan!” he exclaimed.

Then she noticed his pupils were still dilated.

“Oh no, you're still high!”

She gave him a push and he rolled off her and on to his back.

“Maybe I am, I'm not sure. I can't see Fish now. But she did turn me on... Sorry, Rose - I didn't mean to say that!”

“Just go to sleep, Oswald!” Rose said, then she turned out the light and he turned on his side and held her close. He was asleep in a matter of minutes as she stayed awake, angry at Ivy and her husband for keeping that secret from her – but Ed was still recovering from the bullet wound and she doubted talking to him about being irresponsible with Ivy's plant based concoctions would be useful while his memory was affected...

_While this was happening upstairs, something else was happening downstairs, as the sender of the card made another attempt at contact but this time, more directly:_

_Downstairs, the phone was ringing. Gertrude answered it. There was silence on the other end of the line and then the caller hung up..._

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

As morning came with a dull sky that covered Gotham in a shade of rainy grey, as Oswald woke up beside Rose and felt relieved the drug had worn off, he woke her with a kiss. Down the hallway, Ed's room was empty – he had got up early and was having breakfast with Gertrude.

Ozzie had also got up early, he had rushed breakfast, taken five minutes to chat to his Uncle Ed, who was looking very well at last, and then he had said something about meeting Lilly at the den, and had grabbed his coat, put it on and hurried out into the cool air as falling leaves twisted downward on a gentle breeze in shades of Fall colours.

Gertrude gave Ed more tea and then sat down at the table and smiled.

“You are looking so well,” she told him, “I think perhaps Oswald is loving you with all his heart and making you recover. Love is magical.”

Ed smiled politely. So much had come flooding back to him that he wasn't sure he could stay much longer in that spare room. But he still felt awkward about changing things, it was as if that bullet had stolen away his ability to speak up or make a first move.

“You son is very special,” he agreed.

Just then Rose and Oswald came into the kitchen.

“Morning Ed,” Rose said as she sat down, “I'm not mad at you, I wont be mean - but Lilly put _happy powder_ in Oswald's tea last night – she saw you take it once and she thought she'd surprise him with something to make him... happy. _He wasn't. He hallucinated Fish Mooney_.”

Oswald sat down too and looked across the table at Ed.

“I've already apologised to Rose for not telling her about Ivy's little plant based hallucinogens, but if you recall taking them, I really think you should leave it alone from now on.”

Ed thought back, recalling sitting on Ivy's sofa and touching words as they appeared in front of him as he assembled riddles out of thin air.

“I'm sorry about that... and yes, it probably is a good idea if I stop,” he agreed, “After a bullet to the head I'm very uneasy about using any kind of substance that messes with my mind. I hope you're not too mad at Lilly.”

“Ivy's going to explain to her,” Oswald replied, “She had good intention. I can't blame my daughter.”

Then Ed smiled as he looked across the table at him.

“You've got little spikes coming back! I love your hair with spikes.”

“And your hair is looking much better too, Ed.”

As Oswald smiled back at him, he looked so happy it was as if a glow was radiating from him. Rose and Gertrude exchanged a glance and a shared smile. Clearly Ed was growing closer to Oswald again. It was taking time, but they were definitely closer...

“After breakfast I'm going into work,” Oswald said, “I need to spend more time at the company. I can't lose everything I've worked for.”

“It's about time,” Rose agreed, “You really need to do this.”

Again she glanced at Gertrude, who gave her a little smile, as if to say, _Of course my son is okay, I told you all would be well..._

 

Far off at the back of the estate, past Ivy's house and down a tree lined dirt track, stood an old barn. It was full of hay bales and still warm and dry despite how long it had stood empty since the land had been purchased to allow for extra room for Ivy's side of the estate to have extra space for her plants to ramble.

The barn door opened with a creak and Lilly stepped inside. A space had been cleared in the middle of the floor, there was an old upturned crate and on it, lit candles stuck to a plate with melted wax gave the place a warm glow.

Ozzy and Eddie were sitting on some hay and as she swept in wearing her long, thick coat with the black feathered collar, Ozzie spoke up first.

“What kept you so long? This is your hideout, you should have been here waiting for us!”

“You're late!” Eddie added.

“My sincere apologies, guys,” Lilly replied as she shut down her parasol, “But my efforts to use Uncle Ed's happy powder did _not_ make my Dad happy. Mom told me it only works for Uncle Ed and I must never put it in Dad's tea again. But I'm not in trouble... So, let us address the business of the day...”

She stood there looking to Ozzie and Ed.

“The gunman?” Ozzie wondered.

“Exactly!” Lilly replied, “As soon as my Dad knows his identity, we need to get to him first.”

“But how?” Ozzie asked.

Lilly sat down on a hay bale and as the light from the candles shone on her pale face, her icy eyes glittered coldly.

“As soon as Dad has a name, we trace the guy online and find out his phone number. Then we call him and invite him over. And then...” She raised the tip of her parasol as a blade slid out, and she stabbed it firmly into the ground, “We bring him back here, to our hideout and we find out which hand he used to fire the gun. Then we cut his fingers off to make sure he never does it again. Any questions?”

Eddie put his hand up.

“Yes, Eddie?”

“If you do that the guy will go to the cops?”

“No, he won't,” she replied, and as darkness glittered in her eyes, Ozzie's face paled.

“Oh no...”

“Oh yes!” she replied, “Think about what the gunman did to Uncle Ed. We have to punish him! Then we have to make sure he doesn't snitch. How do you think we will do that, Eddie?”

She looked to Ed Nygma's son, who started to smile as a riddle came to mind.

“I was once wet but now I'm dry, empty and deep – what am I?”

“The old well by the garden wall!” said Lilly, “Yes, Eddie – that's where we will put the body. After we drop him, he's dead anyway. It's a long way down!”

“But someone might find it,” Ozzie said quietly.

“No one will find it,” Lilly replied, “Now, we have our plan. Let's seal the deal.”

She got up and so did the two boys, and they stood together.

“Spit and promise,” she said, and spat in both her hands, holding one out to Eddie and the other out to Ozzie. Eddie spat in his hand and then shook hands with her instantly, she kept hold of his hand as she looked to her brother. Ozzie spat into his palm and then took her other hand. Then as they stood there holding hands, Lilly spoke again.

“Time to make the oath.”

“What's promised is promised and won't be broken,” they said in unison, then Lilly let go of their hands and smiled brightly

“Business is concluded for the day! Now Eddie, did you remember the paper and the pencils?”

He nodded.

“Great,” Lilly replied, “Now let's sit down together and make some nice pictures for Uncle Ed.”

 

Back at the house, Gertrude was clearing away the breakfast plates when she suddenly recalled something.

“There was an odd phone call last night,” she said as stacked up the plates and carried them over to the dishwasher, “I answered, Hello, I said, but... nobody there!”

Rose and Oswald exchanged a glance.

“They said nothing? When was this exactly. Mother?”

She shrugged.

“I do not know Oswald, it was after you went upstairs, it was getting late.”

“What's this about?” asked Ed.

He noticed the way Oswald and Rose exchanged a glance, and instantly knew there was a secret.

“I'm not too weak for this. I'm healing now. What's going on?”

“The man who shot you sent a card to the house, he claimed to be sorry for the attack. I had a feeling he wouldn't stop at a card. I think he wants to speak to me in person, the card was addressed to me, Ed.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because you've been resting and recovering. You don't need to worry about this.”

“Don't shut me out, Oswald.”

“I'm not!”

“Show me the card,” Ed told him, “I need to read the message inside.”

Rose got up from the table.

“I'll get it,” she said, and left the room.

Oswald sipped his tea.

“At least I know this one is safe to drink.”

Ed was still looking at him and he saw annoyance in his eyes.

“You should have told me.”

“At the time, you were sleeping a lot. Your memory was still stuck in the past and it would have done no good.”

Rose returned and handed Ed the card. He opened it up and started to read.

“At least it confirms I'm the target,” he said quietly as he closed the card and placed it on the table, “The guy must hate me a lot to say he's no better than me for what he's done...He talks like I'm evil.”

“You're not!” Oswald reminded him.

Then Ed picked the card up again and started to carefully study all the sender had said.

“If I look at this as a riddle, _maybe_ I can figure it out...”

He studied the content again as the others sat there in silence. Ed was making a good recovery now, and if anyone could solve this, it was him...

“What do you think?” Oswald asked.

“This is going to take some time...”

Then Oswald got up.

“I'd better leave you to it, Ed. I have to go over to the oil company.”

He paused to kiss his wife, then he kissed his mother's cheek and as he turned to Ed, their gaze met and he stopped, unsure how close to get.

Ed smiled.

“Have a good day at work, Oswald,” he said, and then he hugged him.

As he let go again, Oswald was smiling and joy shone in his eyes.

“It will be a _very_ good day now, Ed!” he said warmly, and then he left the kitchen.

“I had no idea my hug could be so motivational,” Ed remarked, he was still smiling as he turned his attention back to the card, he still didn't recall the shooting, so looking at the message felt more like looking at evidence from a crime scene...

“That's very odd...” he said.

Rose was still at the table. Gertrude had started the dishwasher and was about to make more tea.

“What's odd?” Rose asked.

“It's the way he says more than once that seeing Oswald crying made him realise he's done a terrible thing. So shooting me wasn't terrible to him, just genuinely upsetting others was terrible...he said he doesn't know Oswald, yet it's on his conscience that he's made a stranger suffer... and the flowers on this front of this card are bluish hyacinths – that shade of bluish purple has a meaning.”

As he looked to Rose he smiled and behind his glasses, she noticed the sparkle was coming back to his eyes. He was enjoying the challenge of this, without the pain of the memory attached to it, and it was doing him good.

“What does it mean?”

“It means traditionally, to ask for forgiveness – the colour represents truth. He feels like he's being dishonest by covering up his crime. It's meant to be a clear indication of sincere intention to be more honest from now on. Assuming he knew that when he chose the card, he feels genuine remorse. But clearly, he has a great deal of hatred for me. I don't know why. But we do know the guy has a conscience. I'm going to dig out one of my old forensic kits and dust it for prints.”

“But you've got nothing to compare it to.”

“I can dust the card then take the prints of everyone who has handled it since it was opened,” he replied, “Any other prints belong to the shooter. Then I'll ask Oswald to call up one of his old contacts at the GCPD – someone who will stay quiet about it – and have them run the prints through the system.”

“You genius!” Rose exclaimed.

Ed smiled, and in that moment, he looked completely well again.

“Thank you for the compliment, Rose,” he said warmly, then he got up from the table and left the room.

 

Oswald was in his office at Cobblepot Oil. He was going through news articles and paperwork and had a meeting scheduled in an hours time to discuss ways to pull the company reputation back up to its former standard. He had told his secretary he did not want to be disturbed. Then as an email came through, he gave a sigh and decided to check it in case it was another correspondence from the press asking about safety on the rigs.

The email was marked Urgent. He opened it and stared at the screen as his jaw dropped:

It was from the gunman... All thoughts of business temporarily faded out as his gaze darkened with anger and he read the message:

_'Dear Mr Cobblepot, I tried to call the house but an old lady answered and I didn't want to scare her by saying who I was, so I hung up. I was trying to speak to you. Can we talk, please? If you mail me right back we can talk now, I need to explain.'_

Oswald's hands felt stiff with rage as he typed a reply:

_'Sure we can talk. What's on your mind? Are you scared of getting caught? You're right, you did do a terrible thing. Ed didn't deserve it.'_

He waited. A reply came through:

_'Mr Cobblepot sir, if I could go back and change what I did that day, I would. But I can't. It's hard to live with, I thought shooting Mr Nygma was the right thing to do but when I saw you on TV crying I knew I'd wrecked not just his life but others too. I've never fired a gun before. I've never done anything wrong in my life. At the time I thought it was right but now I don't think so. I was hoping to shoot him and get it over with, so he was dead as soon as I fired the gun. I didn't want him to suffer, I just wanted justice. How is your family now? Is Ed getting better? I want to speak with you in person but I've heard stories about Mr Penguin, your old street name. They say you used to be the king of Gotham, that you've killed people. I'm scared you might shoot me and dump me in the river.'_

“And you're right about that!” Oswald said angrily as he wrote a response:

_'It's taken weeks – months now, for Ed to start getting back to anything like the person I used to know. You think you know the pain you caused us as a family – you don't.'_

He paused, reached for his cane and drew out the blade, turned it over as he watched it catch the light on a razor sharp edge as the need for retribution burned in his eyes, then he fixed it back on his cane and set it aside as thoughts of murder played quietly at the back of his mind and he continued the message:

_'At least you grasp the fact that you've made me very, very angry. You've also heard stories about my past. Good, I am very glad to hear that! And yes, you should be worried. But I am a reasonable man. I understand you must have had a good reason to shoot Edward, back in the day he was no saint, much the same as myself. I would like to meet with you, man to man and discuss the reason for what you did. I need to understand. I also want your name. If your remorse is genuine, you will give me that much.'_

He sent the message and waited for a reply as the thought came to mind that today, life felt very much like the old days: _Take care of business at the company, murder the gunman, then go home to his family. An average day in the life of Penguin..._

A reply came back:

_'My name is Ivan. Should I call you Mr Cobblepot or Mr Penguin? Can we meet today? And do you promise not to harm me?'_

Oswald laughed darkly as he thought of that blade slicing into the gunman's neck.

 _'Trust has to start somewhere,'_ he replied as his eyes shone dark with rage, _'Ivan, you can call me Penguin. Meet me at three pm at the Iceberg Lounge. It's closed today, but if you go around the back, Mr Zsasz will let you in. You can wait for me in the office upstairs. I have some business to attend to and then I'll be along to meet you. Make sure you're there. If you don't have the guts to explain yourself, if you don't show, I will turn this information over to the GCPD and it won't take long for them to find you. So it's up to you, apologise to me like a man, explain your actions – or go to jail.'_

 _'I will show up, Mr Penguin,'_ the reply said, _'I will be there and I will explain everything. Thank you for giving me this chance.'_

As Oswald read the reply he shook his head.

“You're a dead man!” he stated coldly, then he deleted the emails and took out his phone and called Victor.

“I know the Lounge is closed today, but I need you to be there at three,” he said, “The man who shot Ed wants to apologise. He must be very dumb, he wants to meet with me. He actually believes I'll accept an apology!”

“So you're killing him at my club? Please don't make a mess, I just got new carpets fitted,” said Victor.

“I'm not going home to my family drenched in blood,” Oswald replied, “I still know how to do it quick and clean. As soon as the guy shows up, send him up to the office to wait for me.”

“Okay I'll be there, Penguin,” Victor replied, then the call ended.

Then Oswald got on with the business of preparing for a meeting to stabilise the future of the oil company, calmly setting his day in order of priority: _Business first, then murder, the brutal murder of the man who shot Ed. It was starting to feel like a perfect day..._

 

Back at the Cobblepot residence, Ed had finished dusting the card for prints. Then he set it aside and put on his jacket and paused by the mirror to carefully run a comb through his hair. It was growing well now, but he was still careful not catch his scar with the comb. He smiled as he looked into the mirror, thinking how he was looking so much better lately, then he left his room and went downstairs.

“Where are you going, Ed?” asked Rose as he headed for the back door.

“I'm going to see my son,” he replied, “I was working on the prints and I suddenly remembered the day Eddie was born...I'm so grateful I'm starting to remember my life!”

“Do you remember the day you married Oswald?” she asked.

The look in his eyes said that he did, but he wasn't ready to talk about that yet. He was taking one memory at a time because so much emotion all at once was overwhelming. He stepped closer, ran his hands over her hair and then smiled as he looked into her eyes.

“I remember you are a very good friend, so is Ivy.. I love you both very much... and Oswald too. I love him like...” he paused, struggling to find the words, “He's the other piece of my heart! I am so lucky to have this much love around me.”

Rose smiled fondly.

“I know,” she said, “I feel that way too.”

“I'd better go and see Eddie...”

He reached the door and opened it, then caught his breath as he grasped at the frame, fighting off a mild wave of dizziness.

“Ed?”

“I'm okay, Rose,” he assured her, “That was mild and fleeting. Last time I went for a scan, they said I'm healing so well these dizzy spells should be gone by Christmas. I'll see you soon.”

Rose stood by the window and watched as he left the house and made his way up the path towards Ivy's place, and it was a relief to see he was showing no more signs of unsteadiness. She couldn't wait to tell Oswald that Ed had called him the other piece of his heart, that would make him smile even more than when he got Ed's sudden hug that morning...

 

Ed reached the house just as the kids were going inside. Ivy paused at the door and smiled.

“You're looking so well!”

“I feel well, thank you,” Ed replied, and he went up the porch and gave her a hug.

“I really want to see my son. I remember him now. I remember everything!”

Ivy laughed with delight as she hugged him again.

“The kids have gone through to the kitchen... go and surprise them!”

Ed kissed her cheek, then he went into the house and it came as a pleasant surprise that he remembered the layout. He went through to the kitchen where the kids were up the table drinking hot chocolate made by Ivy, to warm up after their time outside.

“Uncle Ed!” Ozzie said in surprise.

“It's good to see you looking so well!” Lilly exclaimed, “Did you walk over here all by yourself?”

“Yes, Lilly, I did,” he replied with a smile, then he looked to his son, who was sitting at the table looking unsure of the father who had been so cold towards him.

“Hello Eddie,” he said softly, “Daddy's not been himself lately, it was the bullet,” he indicated to the side of his head, “It made me forget everything. But I remember now, and I thought I'd come over here and spend some time with you. Does that sound okay?”

Eddie started to smile as he nodded.

“Would you like to give Daddy a big hug?”

Eddie scrambled down from the table and ran to him, straight into his open arms. As Ed held him he blinked back tears of joy.

“I love you so much, son,” he said.

“I love you too, Daddy,” Eddie replied.

Ivy looked on with a big smile on her face. She got the feeling this family had finally got through the worst, now they were going to be just fine...

 

By now, it was almost three. Victor had gone to the club to wait for the gunman and Oswald had just called him to say he was on his way – he had spent hours in a difficult meeting, but the oil company had plans to get back on track now. It would be hard work, but there was a chance the company could turn their fortunes around. Oswald had sounded calm and focused. Victor knew that tone; he was getting ready to kill someone...

Then there was a knock on the back door of the club. Victor opened up the door and looked left and right, seeing no one.

“Are you Mr Zsasz?” asked a small, scared voice.

He looked down, and there was a kid standing on the doorstep. He was in faded jeans and a hooded top, the hood was down and he had light brown hair that matched his eyes and he looked like he had been crying.

“Who are you?” Victor asked.

The boy was shivering without a coat.

“I...I came here about the shooting.”

His voice had trembled, he was pale and looked terrified. Victor shook his head.

“So the guy who shot Ed didn't have the guts to show? He sent a scared kid in his place? That's despicable! Listen kid, just give me the message and I'll pass it on to Penguin.”

The frightened boy looked up at him.

“ _Mr Zsasz... It was me. I shot Edward Nygma.”_

Victor stared at him.

“You don't have to cover up for someone else – if you know the guy who did it, just give me his name. Penguin will be grateful.”

“ _But I did shoot him,”_ he said, and he clumsily pulled an old revolver from his pocket _, “I shot him with this gun, because he killed my Mom! My Grandma told me before she died, she said Edward Nygma murdered my Mom...she wanted me to know the truth... I'm Ivan Kringle, I'm Kristen Kringle's son.”_

Victor felt stunned as he processed that information. He realised his theory had been right – the shooter was a kid...

“You don't have to be scared,” he told him, “ Penguin would never hurt a kid, no matter what they did. But no weapons are allowed in here.”

He took the gun from his shaking hand, then he checked it, saw it was empty and put it away in his pocket, “There's something you need to know,” Victor added, “Ed didn't kill your Mom deliberately. It was an accident. He's never stopped regretting it.”

The boy looked shocked.

“He didn't mean it?”

“No,” Victor said honestly, “Now come inside, I'll take you up to the office. You can explain everything to Penguin. You don't need to be scared of him, no matter what you've heard. He's a father, he's got a daughter close to your age. It's okay to come in.”

The boy stepped inside. He was still visibly shaking. Victor led him up to the office, and then he stepped out and closed the door and made an urgent phone call.

When he got the call, Oswald had just parked his car at the back of the club. Victor explained everything. Oswald thanked him and then, feeling stunned at the news, called Ed and told him everything. He need to know what Ed wanted to do. He had guessed right. Ed wanted to meet this kid who had put a bullet in his head, but not because he hated him. The news that Kristen Kringle had a baby son who had been looked after by her mother while she lived and worked in Gotham was a shock. Hearing that her son Ivan had run away from home after his Grandmother's death, to avenge the killing of his mother was an even bigger shock. The boy who had shot Ed was just thirteen years old.

“I need to meet him,” Ed had told him, “I need to explain that her death wasn't intentional.”

“I'll bring him back to the house - once I've had some time with him. He's going to understand _exactly_ what he did to you.”

“Go easy on him, Oswald.”

“No, Ed - he needs to understand what he's done. I'll be back soon. You'd better explain the situation to Rose and Ivy – and keep the kids out of the way, you'll want to talk about Kristen in private.”

“See you soon,” Ed said quietly as he sounded lost in thoughts of the past and painful memories, and then Oswald ended the call, grabbed his cane and got out of the car. He paused to screw down the top of the cane; he wouldn't be needing that blade now. Then he hobbled over to the back door of the club and went inside.

 

Victor was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairway.

“He's up there and he's terrified,” he said.

“So he should be after what he did,” Oswald replied, “I'm going to have serious talk with him. By the time he leaves this place, he will understand what he's done to my family.”

Then Oswald went up the stairs, heading for the office.

As he opened the door and went inside, Ivan Kringle looked up sharply. He was sitting by the desk and he looked terrified. Oswald leaned heavily on his cane as he limped over to the desk, glaring at the kid who had shot Ed. Then he took a seat behind the desk and looked across it at the boy.

“So you shot my Edward?” he said darkly.

Ivan was shaking with fear as he looked back at the man known as Penguin. His dark hair was spiked up, his face was pale and his eyes shone with ice cold anger. At that moment, the man who had limped into the room leaning on a cane had looked very scary indeed...

“Yes sir,” he said quietly.

Oswald stayed calm, controlling his anger as he fixed him with an icy glare.

“Ed Nygma did a lot of bad things a few years back,” Oswald told him, “But killing your mother was an accident. They had a fight and he accidentally killed her! He's not the evil monster you think he is! Tell me about your grandmother.”

Ivan blinked.

“My...my Grandma? She brought me up... but she got sick and she died.”

“Why did she die?”

“She had cancer.”

“My condolences,” he said, but his tone remained cold, “And she told you before she died that your mother was killed by Ed? She said he killed her, that was all?”

Ivan nodded.

“So you ran away to Gotham to find Ed and take your revenge. I'm guessing that gun was your Grandma's?”

He nodded again.

“She used to keep it in her purse for protection.”

Oswald was still regarding him coldly, his voice was tense and low as he remembered he had to keep his anger in check.

“Ed had memory loss. He was weak, we had to look after him for a long time. Sometimes he couldn't even get to the bathroom in time. He gets headaches, he gets dizzy -”

“I didn't know all that. I wouldn't have shot him if I knew he was sick.”

Anger flashed on Oswald's eyes.

“ _He didn't have any of that until you put a bullet in his head, you stupid kid, it happened because you hurt him!”_

Ivan's eyes widened as he blinked away tears.

“I'm sorry Mr Penguin, sir. I didn't know that would happen.”

“That's what happens when you shoot someone in the head!” he said angrily, “It could have been much worse. He could have been blind, or in a deep coma, he might have died. Let me tell you about what _you_ did.”

He looked hard across the table at Ivan, who nodded. He was sitting there shaking as he Oswald began to speak.

“When you shot him, it's not like you see in the movies, it's not a bullet to the head, a tiny neat hole and the victim dies. The bullet went into his skull, kept moving along the surface of his bran, then went into brain tissue. He was in surgery for hours because they had to cut his skull open to get the bullet out. He was in ICU. They said we might have to give permission to turn off his life support. That's how badly you injured my Edward! He didn't wake up for almost ten days.”

Oswald took his phone from his pocket.

“I took some pictures at the time, in the hope that if Ed survived, I could show him what had happened. Take a look, this is him in ICU. This is what he looked like after the surgery.”

He turned the phone around. Ivan looked down at the table.

“ _Look at the photo!”_ Oswald demanded.

Ivan raised his head, looking to the screen, seeing a picture of Ed on life support.

“He doesn't look like Ed there,” Oswald added, “because he had the surgery three days before and you can see how big the scar is... His five year old son had to see his Daddy like that! My kids went to see him to say goodbye and they cried when they walked into the room! _You did this, Ivan. One bullet was all it took to do this to the man I married_.”

Ivan looked shocked, his face was pale and he was still visibly trembling but he said nothing as Oswald spoke again.

“You assumed Ed was a cold blooded murderer who deliberately killed your mother. That's not true. It was an accident. He didn't deserve what you did to him. But I do believe you regret your actions. Am I right?”

Ivan nodded.

“I hated myself for pulling the trigger. I saw him go down and I felt horrible. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Now I know he didn't mean to kill my Mom I hate myself. I'm such a bad person. I deserve to go to jail.”

He was on the brink of tears as he looked across the table at Oswald.

“Yes, you do,” Oswald agreed, “But that's not what Ed wants. I told him all about you before I came here and luckily for you, he's forgiving because you're Kristen's son. But he's like that, Ed is very kind. I try to be kind but this is something I am struggling to tolerate,” he glared at him, _“You shot my Edward, you almost killed him!”_

Oswald got up from his seat and limped around the desk, as he approached him, a look of terror came to the boy's eyes.

“ _Please don't kill me!”_ he said in panic, _“I can work for you, sir, I can be useful – I can get information for you! I have some information, I heard it a while back...you have a new name on the streets, it's not Penguin any more!”_

Oswald had reached his side of the desk and he turned to face him as he leaned against the desk to take the weight off his aching leg, and he looked at Ivan in surprise. The way he had just pleaded for his life reminded him of himself years back, it was the kind of tactic he had used many times to get out of deadly situations...

“I just wanted to show you more photos, I'm not going to kill you!” Oswald exclaimed, “I have kids of my own, I'd never hurt a kid! What's this information, Ivan?” he suddenly asked, feeling curious.

Ivan looked up at him. He was still scared, but since he had reminded him he wasn't about to be shot and dumped in the river, he was thankfully a little calmer.

“I heard you used to be known as Penguin, but since you changed the law and made polygamy legal in Gotham, you're known on the streets as the Kinky Penguin.”

Oswald looked at him in surprise.

“Well that makes sense. But I didn't know that, thank you.”

Then he fell silent for a moment as he ran through some pictures on his phone.

“This is Ed and Rise, my spouses,” he said, “I didn't marry them because I'm _the Kinky Penguin_ , I married them because I _love_ them both.”

He showed him the picture of Rose and Ed standing together smiling in the garden.

“And this is Edward and I, it was taken on our wedding day,” he added, and showed him a picture of the two of them standing together, Ed with his arm around him as they smiled for the camera.

“That's my Ed... he's a good man. You have no idea what you did to him.”

“But I do, I get it,” Ivan said. He blinked and tears ran down his face.

“ _I'm so sorry, Mr Penguin! I'm sorry I hurt him, I wish I never did it, I'm so sorry! I just want Ed to get better...”_

Ivan started to sob inconsolably as more tears ran from his eyes. The kid was really weeping, in that moment Oswald knew he had made his point.

“And you can tell him that,” he said gently, “I'm taking you home to meet him. He wants to meet you - he knows you're Kristen's son, that makes you very special to him.”

The boy was still crying as he nodded.

“I _want to meet Ed...I...I want to say I'm sorry...I am sorry, Mr Penguin, I am, I really mean it... I just want... Ed to get better..._ ” he could barely speak as he wept.

Oswald felt his anger fading away as he put a fatherly arm around the sobbing child.

“You don't have to call me Penguin, my name is Oswald,” he reminded him gently, “And I want you to calm down before we leave. Hush now, stop crying, it's okay...”

But Ivan carried on sobbing. Oswald quietly comforted him, holding him as he rocked him gently. This was no cold blooded killer, this kid was just a frightened child who regretted his actions, and even though he had felt deep anger towards him at first, that was gone now. Oswald just wanted to hug this scared, upset kid and stop his tears. Finally, Ivan calmed down. Oswald took a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to him.

“Dry your eyes,” he said, “We're leaving now, I'm taking you home to meet Ed.”

Ivan wiped his eyes, then he blew his snotty nose.

“And you can keep the handkerchief, I don't need it back,” Oswald added.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 

Rose: _'The day Oswald made Ivan cry by explaining exactly what he had done to our family, was the day that changed a lot in ways we were yet to realise. We knew Ed was healing well, but we were about to find out that he was going to make a fine recovery. He was already there, he just needed to mend things with Oswald. My husband had been through a rough time with Ed pushing him away, but that was about to change. In fact a lot was about to change, and all for the better, too – but there was the small matter of Lilly, who was so like her father that she was about to cause trouble none of us had seen coming...'_

 

On the drive back to the Cobblepot mansion, Ivan was quiet. Thankfully he had stopped crying, so as they drove on, Oswald started talking.

“Where have you been staying since you arrived in Gotham?”

“An old factory,” he replied, “It was empty so I broke in.”

“You don't have any family back home to come looking for you?”

“No.”

Oswald glanced at him.

“I can't let you go back there tonight, it's not safe and it's turning cold out there. You can stay with us tonight. Then we really should find you a proper place to live.”

“You're going to tell the authorities about me and dump me in an orphanage? I'd rather be out on the street.”

Oswald focused on the road again. He didn't doubt the boy hadn't stopped running from his situation since his grandmothers death – he had no one to turn to. But if he stayed out there alone, he had no future. He already knew Ed didn't want the cops informed – he had a plan of his own to cover the hunt for the gunman, Ed was planning to call them with the most useless information he could invent about the gunman, purely to spare Kristen's son.

“We'll find you a nice place to live,” Oswald said, “Somewhere warm for the winter.”

“Why are you being kind to me?”

They had reached the open gates of the Cobblepot mansion. Oswald drove through, then went up the driveway and parked the car outside the house.

“I can't deny I wanted to hate you,” he admitted, “But I can't. You're just a kid who made a mistake. Are you ready to meet Ed now?”

He nodded.

“I need to apologize to him.”

“And he wants to apologize to you too, for your mother,” Oswald replied.

Then he got out of the car and Ivan followed and Oswald led him up to the front door of the mansion.

 

As the door opened and Rose saw the pale, tearful looking kid standing next to her husband, she knew at a glance that all their assumptions about the shooter had been wrong. He was just a child, and he looked cold and scared.

“Come in,” she said, stepping back as Oswald led the way and he followed him inside, “I'm Rose, I'm Oswald's wife.”

He had been standing there looking down at the floor. The house was warm and as the warmth crept to his bones he felt the worst of the chill fade away.

“Hi Rose,” he said quietly, glancing up at her.

Oswald took off his coat and then turned to his wife.

“Where are the kids?”

“Ivy's.”

“Good. And Ed?”

“He's in the front room.”

“Come with me,” Oswald said, and he walked off towards the front room as Ivan followed.

When they reached the closed door Oswald turned to Ivan and noticed he looked emotional again.

“Don't be scared,” he told him, “I fully accept you understand the consequences of your actions. Ed won't give you a hard time like I did.”

“But I deserved it,” Ivan said.

Oswald said no more on the subject and opened the door and went into the front room.

“Ed,” he said, “This is Ivan Kringle.”

Ed was standing beside the open fire. He turned towards the doorway and looked at the boy who stood beside Oswald.

“Ivan, I'm glad you were able meet with me,” he went over to the sofa, “Come and sit down, let's talk.”

Ivan hesitated.

Ed was looking at him intently. He managed a slight, nervous smile as he gestured to the sofa, and then Ivan walked over to him and took a seat. Ed sat down beside him.

“Okay?” Oswald asked, directing that question to Ed.

“Yes, we're okay,” he replied, “You can leave us to have a talk.”

Oswald left the room and closed the door quietly. Suddenly the only sound in the room was the crackle of the open fire. Ivan didn't know what to say.

 

As he sat there in silence, Ivan was looking intently at Ed, this was the first time he had seen him up close. He thought about the photo Oswald had showed him, and glanced at the side of his head, but he couldn't see the scar because his hair covered it now.

“Are you okay?” he asked cautiously.

“Yes, I'm making a good recovery,” Ed replied, “Thanks to you being a lousy shot!” and he laughed, but then stopped as Ivan blinked away tears.

“Perhaps I shouldn't make light of it,” he added.

“Oswald made me understand exactly what I did to you,” Ivan told him, “And I'm really sorry. If I could go back and change it, I would.”

“But you can't,” Ed replied, “Just like I can't go back and change your mother's death. I loved her. I _never_ would have intentionally hurt her. We had a fight. It was an accident. I've never forgotten it and I never will. I wish I could change that too. I'm truly sorry for what I did, Ivan. I fully understand why you shot me. You didn't know the whole story.”

Ivan blinked away tears.

“I heard about what happened after I shot you. Oswald told me, he showed me what you looked like after they took the bullet out. I'm sorry I caused you so much suffering. I guess we both have things we can't change...”

He gave a sob and started to cry, and then he kept on crying. Ed didn't have to think about what to do next. It was instinct, here was the person who had shot him – a kid, not just any kid – Kristen's son. He put his arm around him and the boy pressed his face against the shoulder of his jacket and sobbed harder.

“It's okay,” Ed said softly, “I've cried over your Mom. I've hated myself for the things I can't change. But life isn't something we can go back over and adjust. We both have regrets, but you need to understand I forgive you for shooting me. It's in the past.”

Ivan raised his head from his shoulder, straightened up in his seat and wiped his eyes.

“Are you better? I mean will you always have problems because I shot you? Oswald said you get dizzy.”

“I get very brief dizzy spells but they are improving,” Ed replied, “I can be forgetful and...” he paused, thinking about how he longed to get close to Oswald again but found it so difficult. But he couldn't say to Ivan, _that bullet has taken my confidence and I no longer feel attractive to my partner_ , so instead, he glossed over it, “I'm a little bit tired sometimes. I sleep a lot more than I used to, but that's all part of the healing process. My memory is returning too. I've been lucky, it could have been a lot worse. I'm getting better. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“I just want you to be better,” Ivan replied, and Ed's heart ached as he looked at Ivan and saw so much of Kristen in his face.

“Do you like riddles?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ivan replied. Now his tears had stopped.

Ed smiled warmly.

“I think we're going to be friends,” he told him, “In fact, I think that would be very good for both of us – we've both done things we can't change, but we can get over that together. I have a book of riddles, I've been reading it to try and get my mind working properly again... I think I left it on the shelf...”

Ivan got up and went over to the book shelf, found the book and brought it back to him.

“I'll read you some good ones,” Ed said, “You can guess the answers!”

“Okay,” Ivan replied, and at last, the boy managed a smile.

 

Later, Ed took Ivan into the kitchen and he met Gertrude, who had by now heard all about the son of Kristen and the story of the shooting. It was clear to see Ed was getting along very well with Ivan, and as she started to speak with him, Ivan felt an instant bond with the lady who reminded him of his late grandmother. She insisted on giving him supper, and while she was doing that, Rose was upstairs making a bed for the boy in another of the mansion's spare rooms. She had given him a room at the top of the stairs that overlooked the gardens, the sheets were fresh and the room was warm. While Ivan was still having supper, Ed said goodnight, explaining he had to go to bed early because he need a lot of sleep, and then he went upstairs to his room and went inside and closed the door - and the moment he laid back on the bed, his heart suddenly ached sharply because Oswald was not beside him.

Outside in the hallway, he heard Rose talking to Ivan. She told him to have a bath before bed and to leave his clothes outside his room so Gertrude could wash them for him. He thanked her and said goodnight, then Rose walked up the hallway and went on to the master bedroom.

Ed felt desperately alone. As his memory had returned, with each day that passed, he knew for certain this was not his room. Making a move, reaching out for closeness, had never felt so difficult. He knew he was in for a lonely night, and wondered how much more he could take. He could recall the past vividly, he remembered the time Oswald had declared his love and he had pushed him away.

Then he remembered how, when he had made the choice to be with him, it had not been difficult at all – he knew all he had to do to was walk out of this room and join him and Rose – but it felt awkward, he couldn't even find the words to express his love for the man he had married. He had told Rose that Oswald was the other piece of his heart, but to say it to him, to let out that flood of emotion that had built up since his memory had returned, seemed too daunting to handle. So he stayed there alone in the darkened room, unable to sleep as his heart ached and he longed to be elsewhere.

 

Rose and Oswald had gone to bed. She had been discussing Ivan, and Oswald had told her he was glad Ed got on so well with him; maybe their friendship could help to heal the pain of the past. Then Rose had remembered something and as she turned on her side and put her arms around him, she smiled.

“Ed talked about you after you left for work. He called you the other piece of his heart.”

Oswald's eyes lit up with joy.

“He said that?”

“Yes, he did!”

“This is wonderful! Maybe I should go to his room and -”

“No,” Rose told him, “Wait until he's ready. He hugged me today and said how much he loved me and Ivy as friends. I think he's dealing with each memory one at a time, maybe the emotion is too much for him to handle all at once.”

Oswald agreed with her instantly, he and Ed shared such a deep love it would certainly be a lot to acknowledge so quickly.

“I think he needs to take his time,” Oswald replied, “You're right, I mustn't rush him. I do miss him, every single night, every day too - I know I can't just walk up to him and hold him or kiss him because he's not ready.”

“But he will be,” Rose promised, “He went to Ivy's today to see his son. He's healing. You won't have to wait much longer.”

“I hope you're right, Rose.”

Oswald kissed her, their gaze lingered but his heart was too full of the ache of missing Ed to think about making love.

“Goodnight, my dear,” he said, and he turned out the light.

 

Over at Ivy's place, despite the late hour, Ivy had waited for Ozzie and Lilly to finish watching a movie and then she had called them up to the table after Eddie had gone to bed.

“I need to talk to you both about the reason you're over here tonight,” she said, as she sat at the table and looked to her daughter and Oswald's son, “Today your father found the gunman.”

Lilly turned her head and looked at Ozzie, whose eyes widened. She gave him a small, sly smile and then she looked back at Ivy.

“My Dad has killed him, I trust?”

Ivy smiled briefly as it struck her how much like Oswald her daughter was turning out to be. She really was the next generation Penguin, a little miss penguin of the future...

“No, he spared him, Lilly. Because he's Kristen Kringle's son. He's thirteen years old, he's just over a year older than you. He's a kid!”

Lilly tapped her fingers on the table as she paused for thought.

“But Mom, he shot Uncle Ed. Has everyone forgotten how much he suffered? Eddie felt like he had no father for a few months, Ed couldn't recall his own child! And I was very upset when he got hurt!” Lilly blinked away tears.

“It's not a secret that Uncle Ed accidentally killed Kristen many years ago. It was an accident, Lilly. But Ivan didn't know that. His grandmother was dying when she told him Ed killed his mother. He assumed he murdered her in cold blood and he ran away to Gotham to take revenge. He knows the facts now and he's very, very sorry! So please, when you meet him tomorrow, be kind. Ed has forgiven him. Your father has also forgiven him. They have welcomed him into their home and they want to help him. He has nothing. Can you try and be kind for me, Lilly?”

As her mother asked that question, Lilly forced a bright smile. As she spoke again, with her raven black hair framing her pale face, she was the image of her father, and also shared his ability to hide malice behind a facade of sweetness, too...

“Of course, Mom!” she said warmly, “Now I understand, I want to make Ivan Kringle welcome! And I really hope he can stay tomorrow, too. Me and Ozzie would love to play with him! We could show him the den, right, Ozzie?”

Her brother nodded, shooting her a reluctant glance, and said nothing.

“That's a better attitude,” Ivy replied, “Yes, I think that would be a great idea. Okay, off to bed now, it's getting late.”

They said goodnight and then Lilly led the way up the stairs as her brother followed. When they reached the upper hall, Lilly looked down the stairs and saw Ivy was nowhere in sight, then she grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him around to face her.

“I don't like that look you gave me downstairs!” she whispered, “You are not having second thoughts about this. You did spit and swear and you took the oath. Now you must honour your promise!”

“I'm not sure I want to kill anyone,” Ozzie said quietly.

Her eyes narrowed.

“You don't have to kill him! I shall carry out the deed! And don't even think about backing out and snitching on me! We planned this together -”

“It's your plan -”

“We are the children of the great Penguin!” she reminded him, “We destroy our enemies! Dad is only being kind for Ed's sake. Uncle Ed is being forgiving because he's still getting over the head injury. It's up to us to see that true justice is carried out!”

Ozzie's face paled.

“I just want to respect Daddy's decision.”

“Ivan shot Uncle Ed. He has to pay. Be ready at nine am, we shall go home and invite Mr Kringle out to play. Then, we strike!”

Lilly turned away and headed off towards her room. Ozzie watched her walk away, feeling worried sick – he didn't want to go against his parent's wishes, but to cross Lilly felt like an even scarier option...

 

When morning came, Rose woke to bright, early morning sunshine falling through the lace curtains. She turned over and then she blinked, looking in surprise at Ed, who was next to her, his back was turned, he was facing Oswald, who was also asleep. At some point in the night Ed had come back to their bedroom and got into bed.

Rose was smiling as she sat up, then she carefully leaned over Ed to reach Oswald and gently blew on his hair. By now his spikes had grown back and as she blew gently and shifted a dark, silken lock of hair from his eyes, he blinked and looked up at her.

“Look who's back!” she whispered, indicating to Ed.

Oswald's face lit up with joy.

Rose got out of bed and grabbed a long silken robe.

“I'm going downstairs,” she whispered, “Take your time, there's no rush...”

“I will!” Oswald replied, joy still radiating from his eyes.

Rose left the bedroom, closing the door softly. She went downstairs, she could smell breakfast cooking and Ivan was talking to Gertrude.

“Good morning!” she said brightly.

Ivan's clothing was clean now and he was eating breakfast as she walked into the room. She went over to Gertrude, who was still cooking and lowered her voice.

“The guys won't be up until late.”

Gertrude looked at her. Rose had a radiant smile on her face. She understood at once.

“You mean my Oswald and Edward are back together?”

Rose could barely contain her joy as she nodded.

“Yes!”

Gertrude smiled warmly.

“That is wonderful!”

“Has something good happened?” asked Ivan as he saw the smiles on their faces as they ended their quietly spoken conversation.

“Yes it has,” Gertrude replied, “Rose was just telling me Edward is feeling much better this morning!”

 _He certainly will be now he's woken up next to Oswald,_ Rose thought silently. She knew they would be enjoying a very long and wonderful reunion right at this very moment.

“Is he coming downstairs yet?” Ivan asked, “I want to see him, I want to spend some more time with him.”

“He's getting up late today,” Rose replied, “But I'm pretty sure you'll have plenty of time with him – you're not leaving today, you have nowhere to go.”

“I think he should stay with us,” Gertrude replied, smiling maternally at Ivan.

“He's not legally ours, there are processes to go through,” Rose reminded her, “He will have to leave eventually.”

Gertrude gave a sigh.

“But Rose, he has no home! And he was so cold and his clothes were so smelly! He is skinny, he needs to be fed! And he called me Grandma this morning,” she smiled at Ivan, who looked at her apologetically.

“Sorry, Gertrude... I was thinking of her, you kind of remind me of -”

“Your grandmother?” she asked, “I am a grandmother to three children. And I am very glad you are here with us.”

She turned to Rose.

“I _so_ want to keep him!”

Rose smiled.

“He's not a stray dog, Gertrude! We can't just take him in and keep him. But he can stay today, and maybe tomorrow.”

“And maybe, you get to stay for a _very_ long time!” Gertrude said hopefully to Ivan as she smiled warmly.

 

Upstairs, Oswald had got out of bed, locked the door to ensure privacy, then carefully got back into bed as Ed slept on. He watched him sleeping for a moment, then he turned the covers down to his hips and ran gentle fingertips down the contours of his body. Ed stirred, gave a sigh and carried on sleeping. Oswald's eyes reflected deepest love as he softly brushed his hair from his face with a sweep of his hand, then he leaned over him, placing a gentle kiss on fading bullet wound on his brow.

Ed's eyes opened sharply and he blinked, looking up at Oswald, who smiled down at him.

“Welcome back, Ed. I've missed you.”

Ed said nothing as a swell of emotion filled his heart, then he reached for him, pulling him close, and to feel his skin against his own after being apart for so long felt like truly coming home.

“I love you so much!” Ed was tearful as he clung to him.

Oswald kissed him deeply, then he looked into his eyes again.

“This is the best morning I've ever known,” he told him, “Waking up to find you beside me again! I can't describe how wonderful that feels!”

Ed smiled as he ran his fingers through Oswald's hair, toying with his long dark spikes.

“I couldn't sleep last night. I needed to be with you. I remember everything now...” he caught his breath as a wave of emotion hit him all over again, “I have never loved anyone in my whole life like I love you...”

“And I'm the other piece of your heart,” Oswald added.

Ed blinked away tears of joy.

“Yes, you are... and I would like my wedding ring back, please.”

Oswald slipped Ed's ring off his finger.

“Will you marry me again, Ed?”

Ed laughed softly.

“Yes please, Oz!”

He slipped the ring onto his finger and they shared another kiss.

“Even a bullet couldn't steal my memory of you, not forever,” Ed whispered as his eyes darkened with desire. Suddenly all he wanted to do was take him, to possess his body until they were weak with exhaustion.

Oswald was surprised by his unexpectedly fast move as Ed turned him on his back and then traced a path of kisses down his body.

“I've missed you so much!” Ed said breathlessly as he briefly stroked his erection, and hearing Oswald gasp made his own hardening body ache. He wasn't troubled by his dizzy spells as he briefly reached over to open up a drawer beneath the beside table. He took out lube and his eyes were filled with desire at the sight of Oswald on his back and breathing hard.

“I've missed you, I've missed us, I've missed making love to you. That all changes now, I'm back, Oswald...”

As he said that, he was stroking his erection and coating it with lubrication. Then he was down on top of him, looking into his eyes as he penetrated him with a firm thrust. Oswald cried out and Ed paused to shift position to allow for his painful leg, he reached around his thigh and raised it, as he used his other arm to hold him tightly, pulling him into an embrace and covering his mouth with a hard, bruising kiss as he thrust against him again.

Oswald was crying out with every thrust, Ed felt his hand slide downwards and he kept thrusting as he felt Oswald's hand moving in a hard and fast rhythm.

“ _I'm so close... you first... you first, Oswald!”_

That was all the encouragement he needed as he came hard and Ed felt every throb as Oswald came hard and fast and warm against their joined bodies. He thrust deeply again and his own climax was spent, then he collapsed into his arms, holding him tightly as they lay breathless together.

“I love you, my little Penguin,” Ed whispered, as he kissed him, they were both damp with perspiration, damp skin, damp hair, and their hearts raced in unison as they lay together.

Oswald's long spikes had gone flat and had stuck damply to his brow as he looked into Ed's eyes and his gaze shone with joy.

“This is definitely the best morning of my life!” he said softly.

 

Downstairs, Ivan had just finished breakfast and had been talking to Rose when there was a tap on the kitchen door. Rose got up and saw her son standing outside and beside him was Lilly, beneath the shade of her black parasol. She guessed it would be better to keep the kids out of the way for a while longer, she didn't doubt a passionate reunion was going on upstairs, and they would also have much to talk about after how difficult these past months had been. She needed to keep the kids out of the way for a while longer.

“Ivan, you're about to meet Lilly. She's Oswald's daughter with Ivy. Ozzie is my son with Oswald. Lilly is pretty close to your age, she's almost twelve.”

Rose opened the back door and the kids came in, Ozzie took off his coat and Lilly closed up her parasol.

“Lilly, Ozzie – this is Ivan, this is the boy Ivy told you about last night.”

Rose watched with caution, recalling how Lilly had been hell bent on avenging the shooting of her Uncle Ed, but Lilly took her place at the breakfast table and smiled warmly.

“Hello!” she said, “So nice to meet you!”

“Hi, Ivan,” Ozzie added as he sat down too.

“Hi...” Ivan said quietly.

Gertrude started to make breakfast for the kids. Rose sat down again and drank some tea.

“I hope you can all be friends,” she said with a smile.

“Yes, Auntie Rose, we're going to be great friends,” replied Lilly. Then she looked across the table at Ivan and smiled as her ice blue eyes glittered in a way that made him feel strangely uneasy. There was something about that girl, maybe it was just because she looked so much like her father, and he had been so scared of Oswald when they had first met... but that girl kept on looking at him over breakfast, and every time he met her gaze, she smiled a little too much.

“Kids, I'll need you to play outside for a while this morning,” Rose told them as they had breakfast, “Maybe you could take Ivan over to meet Ivy.”

“That's an interesting idea,” remarked Lilly.

“Why is it interesting?” Rose asked.

“My Mom told us that all is forgiven. And I am so glad! _But_... I know she was very upset when Uncle Ed couldn't remember Eddie. Maybe we should wait a while before she meets Ivan.”

Lilly then glanced across the table.

“No offence to you, Ivan... but you must be aware of what we have all been through. It's not easy seeing a family member so badly hurt. But I want you to know _I_ hold no grudges.”

Rose shot her a warning look.

“That matter is resolved, young lady!”

“Yes, of course it is,” she said, smiling sweetly at Rose.

Ivan set his plate aside and reached for his juice.

“I am truly sorry for what I did,” he told her, “Me and Ed are starting to make friends. I like him, he's such a nice guy.”

“What do you think of my Dad?” Lilly asked.

“I'm very grateful to your father for making me see exactly what I did when I shot Ed. I understand the damage I caused. I hope some day I can find a way to make up for that. I don't know how, but I'll think of a way.”

“You don't have to keep saying sorry,” Rose said kindly, “And I'm sure Ivy doesn't hold a grudge against you either. We all understand, and Ed has forgiven you. We can move on from that now.”

“I hope we can,” Gertrude muttered as she caught Rose's eye and glanced towards Lilly, who was staring at Ivan as he finished his juice.

“I might go upstairs for a while,” said Ozzie.

“No Ozzie, you promised to play out?” Lilly reminded him.

He gave a sigh.

“Okay, Lilly.”

Then Lilly finished breakfast and got up from the table.

“Ivan, I would like you to come with us. Come and play with me, I want to show you my den! It's really cool, it's an old barn.”

Her eyes were glittering with enthusiasm.

“That's a really nice thought, Lilly,” said Rose, then she glanced to Ivan, “Yes, go with her – on the way you can stop off at Ivy's and say hi, you can meet Ed's little boy, too.”

“Sounds great,” Ivan said, getting up from the table and smiling politely at Lilly. He wished he could just stay at the house, there was something about Lilly that made him feel as if she didn't like him as much as she claimed. But he wanted to make Rose happy, so he waited for Ozzie to put on his coat, then as Lilly stepped outside and put up her parasol, he went outside too.

“Have fun, kids!” Rose said, and then she closed the door.

 

Upstairs, Ed was wrapped in a warm embrace with Oswald, the sheets were a mess, they'd wrecked the neatly made bed with their passion, but now they were resting together and sharing complete contentment at their long awaited reunion.

“It was terrible when you didn't remember us,” Oswald told him, “You hated me so much. But I kept trying, I felt like I was at breaking point, then my Mother reminded me I needed to keep fighting. I'm so glad she did that.”

Ed paused for thought as he looked intently at Oswald, then he lovingly ran his hand over his spiked hair.

“Don't you ever cut those beautiful spikes off again!”

Oswald laughed softly.

“I did it for you – and it helped you remember how much you loved me!”

Ed smiled.

“I don't think I ever really forgot. I just felt like half my life was lost inside a fog. It's all lifted now. And I remember everything.”

Oswald kissed him and then drew back from his embrace.

“I should go and have breakfast. I'll bring yours upstairs later, I think you could use a little more rest.”

Ed turned on his back and gave a sigh.

“You're right, Oswald – I still tire easily.”

As he got out of bed, he looked back at the sight of Ed, naked on the bed, and longed to join him again and cover his body with kisses.

“I'll get dressed, go down and see the family, then I'll come back up and we can have some more time together.”

“That's a great idea,” Ed agreed, and then he closed his eyes, taking a much needed rest as tiredness swept over him again, but this time he slept well, feeling contented, surrounded by the scent of Oswald and the warmth and togetherness they had just shared.

After getting dressed and taking time to spike up his hair, making sure it was exactly as Ed loved it, Oswald grabbed his cane and headed for the door. Then he looked back at Ed, taking another moment to watch him as he slept.

“See you soon, sweetheart,” he said softly, then left the room with a big smile on his face as he headed for the stairs. He couldn't wait to tell Rose and his mother the wonderful news of his reunion with Ed.

 

As Ivan stood on the path waiting with Lilly, he looked back at the house in the distance.

“Where's Ozzie gone?”

Lilly paused for thought. She had walked on ahead with her brother, then told him to go to the garden shed and fetch some rope...

“He will meet us at the barn,” she replied, “He's probably already there by now. It's this way, come with me.”

Ivan followed her along a path, passing by a large house that had a huge greenhouse at the side of it. Leaves were still falling from the trees and there was a chill in the air. As they cut down a narrow pathway and headed towards an old barn, Ivan stopped, getting a weird feeling of unease.

“Come along, Ivan, it's going to be fun!” Lilly said, and he reluctantly followed her as they headed towards the barn.

The barn door was ajar and it creaked on dry hinges as Lilly opened it and he followed her inside. It was gloomy inside, and candles had been lit on the floor. Ozzy was standing next to a hay bale.

“Hi, Ivan,” he said quietly, then he got down from where he sat.

Lilly closed the barn door and closed up her parasol, but kept it in her grip.

“Now we're going to play a game,” she told Ivan, “And you can go first! Stand in the middle of the floor.”

Ivan gave a sigh. His unease had disappeared and he now wished he had stayed back at the house. He wanted to talk to Ed, he wanted to get to know Oswald and Rose and Grandma... no, _Gertrude_. He had found only kindness and forgiveness, and now he wanted to get to know them all. Instead he was stuck in a barn playing some dumb game with Lilly, who he was sure only pretended to like him...

As he stood in the middle of the floor, Lilly looked at him intently.

“Which hand did you use to hold the gun, when you shot my Uncle Ed?”

He felt an icy shiver run down his spine. She was still looking at him, and she took a step closer and so did Ozzie.

“Just answer Lilly's question, it's a game,” said Ozzie.

“I don't want to talk about -”

“ _Answer me, dummy!”_ Lilly said angrily.

“My right hand,” he said quietly.

“Close your eyes and hold out your right hand. It's okay, you can ask me a question in a minute, when it's my turn.”

He did as she asked, deciding if he was about to get bullied, he would make a run for it.

“ _Now!”_ Lilly said sharply.

Ivan had no time to run as she and Ozzie wrapped rope around him, then as he fell hard to the ground, the rope was tied.

“Let me go!” Ivan said, looking up at her in terror.

Lilly stepped closer, and gently pressed her boot against his wrist, pinning down his free hand.

“No!” she said as malice gleamed in her eyes, “I have to make sure you _never_ shoot anyone again...”

As she raised her parasol and hit a button, a blade extended from the tip, sharp and gleaming as it caught on the flicker of the candle light.

Ozzie suddenly spoke up.

“Someone should keep watch outside,” he said quickly.

“Good idea,”said Lilly.

As Ozzie went outside and closed the door behind him, Lilly looked down at Ivan.

“ _You shot my Uncle Ed!”_ she said angrily, _“You will pay for that, Ivan Kringle!”_

 

Back at the house, Oswald walked into the kitchen with a big smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes.

“Good morning!” he said warmly, “I'm the happiest man alive!”

Rose felt a rush of love for her husband, and a warm glow in her heart for Ed as she saw at a glance that no explanation was needed.

“At last!” she said.

“You and Edward are okay now?” Gertrude asked.

“We are wonderful, mother. Everything is wonderful. He's with me again. Thank you so much for all your help!” As he hugged her, Gertrude embraced him, then she let go again and smiled warmly.

“I knew you would win this fight! Of course he is yours, he has never stopped loving you!”

“Where is Ed?” Rose asked.

“He's sleeping, he needs to rest – it's understandable after such a wonderful reunion! I'll take him breakfast later on,” he told her, then he looked about the kitchen, “Where's Ivan?”

“I sent him out to play with Ozzie and Lilly,” said Rose.

“ _With Lilly?”_

“Yes, your daughter Lilly. What's the problem, Oswald?”

“Nothing, I hope,” he replied, silently recalling all the times Lilly had spoken of revenge. She was exactly like him. And knowing that made him worry far more than he cared to admit, because she was just a kid and had a lot to learn about controlling what he thought of as her Penguin traits...

“Where did they go?”

“The barn, why?”

“Thanks Rose,” he leaned on his cane and went over to the back door and opened it, “I'd better go and check on them. I won't be long.”

“Oswald?” Rose said again, but he was already out the door and quickly limping off down the path, hoping he was wrong about Lilly – that girl had talked of nothing but revenge and now she was alone with the kid who had shot her Uncle Ed...

 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 

Oswald hurried down the path as fast as his damaged leg would allow, then he stopped sharply as Ozzie ran towards him with a scared look on his face.

“Daddy, it's Lilly, you've got to stop her!” he said breathlessly.

Oswald leaned on his cane as he put his hand on his son's shoulder.

“It's okay, you're not in trouble. Just tell me what she's done!”

Ozzie looked up at his father and his face paled.

“Lilly's got Ivan tied up in the barn. She said she's going to cut his fingers off for shooting Uncle Ed. Daddy, she made me help her tie him up. I didn't want to do it -”

“Go back to Ivy's,” he said quickly, “I'm going to stop Lilly!”

His son ran off down the path. Oswald hurried on towards the barn, hoping he wasn't too late.

 

In the barn, Lilly's parasol was raised and rage shone in her eyes as she looked down at Ivan.

“Please!” he begged, “Let me go!”

“ _I'm going to cut off your fingers for what you did to Uncle Ed!”_ she yelled, _“You wasn't here when he was hurt, you just shot him and left us to suffer! No one treats my family like that and gets away with it -”_

“ _STOP IT, LILLY KAPELPUT!”_

The door had burst open. Her Dad was standing there. Lilly gave a gasp and stepped away from Ivan, who was tearful and shaking. Oswald hobbled over to Ivan and looked down at him. The kid was unharmed, but Lilly had given him a huge scare. He glared at Lilly, then he noticed the blade on the tip of her parasol.

“Put the blade away,” he said as he looked at her angrily, “And untie Ivan.”

“Daddy... I'm sorry, I was trying to help -”

“ _UNTIE HIM!”_ Oswald yelled, and Lilly dropped the parasol and sobbed quietly as she untied Ivan, then pulled the ropes loose. He struggled free and got up and wiped his eyes.

“I'm truly sorry for my daughter's actions,” Oswald said, “Are you hurt?”

Ivan shook his head.

“I want you to go back to the house and tell Rose and my Mother what happened. Then I want you to sit down with Ed and try and stay calm. Lilly can be very unforgiving sometimes. But she _will_ apologise to you.”

“Thanks for saving me,” Ivan said, and he was still trembling.

“Off you go, tell Rose what happened,” Oswald said, then as Ivan hurried out the door, Ivy came in as he rushed past her. She glared at her daughter and Lilly gave another sob.

“You little psychopath!” she said angrily, “You modified a parasol? You wanted to chop his fingers off? I don't know where you get these ideas from...” Then she remembered, and glanced at Oswald, “Oh wait... she gets her ways from _you_ , kids often turn out like their fathers!”

Oswald looked at her apologetically and gave a shrug as she turned back to Lilly, “But you shouldn't have done that, Lilly! I thought you understood he was forgiven, what part did you not understand? And why the hell have you got candles in a barn, young lady? Candles and matches in a wooden barn full of hay? ”

Oswald touched Ivy's arm.

“What?” she said angrily as she turned her head and her flame red hair shimmered in a cascade, “You think you can do any better to make her understand?”

“Outside,” Oswald said, and she looked confused and then she followed him out for a moment, as Lilly stood in the barn wiping her eyes.

Then her parents came back, and neither were shouting any more.

“Are you sure about this?” Oswald asked.

Ivy nodded.

“Yes, it's in your hands now,” then she looked to Lilly, “I'm leaving this to your father,” she said, and walked away.

Lilly looked up at her dad with tearful eyes.

“I'm really sorry! I thought I was doing the right thing!”

“Come on, we're going back to the house,” Oswald said, “We can talk when we get in.”

Lilly followed him out of the barn, clutching her parasol and repeating her apology, but Oswald gave no reply.

 

When they reached the house, they went in through the back door and as they reached the hallway, Rose came out of the front room.

“Ivan's with Gertrude, he's okay now.”

“I'm sorry,” Lilly said again.

“It's a bit late for sorry,” Oswald said to her, “You scared that poor boy half to death!”

“I'll go back and sit with Ivan,” Rose said.

As she turned away, Ed joined him in the hallway.

“Not quite the day we had planned,” he remarked, “But you need to handle this.”

“I'm sorry, I was only trying to help, Uncle Ed!”

As Lilly looked up at him, Ed figured enough people had yelled at her – and Oswald hadn't even started on teaching her a sharp lesson yet, so he spoke calmly to her.

“Lilly, you should have asked me what I thought about it. I've forgiven him, I like Ivan, he's a good kid. Me and him are friends now.”

Then he glanced at Oswald and saw the look in his eyes.

“Come over here for a minute,” he said, and he went further up the hall and waited.

“Stay there and don't move!” Oswald said angrily to his daughter, then he went over and joined Ed, he explained his plan and Ed understood at once why this was so difficult.

“You can do this,” he said softly, “I'd to the same to Eddie if he did something like that. You've got to teach her a lesson now, or what will she be like when she's older?”

“I know you're right,” he replied, and Ed briefly hugged him.

“Have you called the cops and got Ivan off the hook?” Oswald asked.

“I'll do it when you get back,” Ed replied.

Oswald glanced back at Lilly, she was still standing there waiting for him.

“I'd better get this over with. I feel like a horrible father.”

Ed smiled as love radiated in his eyes.

“No, you're a great father,” he promised him, “Now go and get it over with.”

“I'm not looking forward to this,” Oswald said, then he took a deep breath and turned away and went back to join his daughter.

“We're going out,” Oswald said as he opened the front door.

“Where are we going?” Lilly asked tearfully.

“You'll find out,” he replied, and he led her outside and closed the door.

 

They drove away from the house in silence as Lilly sat beside her father, still clutching her parasol.

“Where are we going?” she asked again.

Oswald avoided the question.

“Every plan, especially the kind that involves revenge, needs careful thought, Lilly. You didn't think. You wouldn't have made Uncle Ed feel better by hurting Ivan. He would have been very upset. And do you think Ivan would have walked out of there and said nothing after getting his fingers cut off?”

“I was going to put him in the well.”

“In the well?” Oswald said in surprise, “On your own?”

“No, I was going make Ozzie help me.”

“Ozzie came running to me because he knew what you wanted to do was wrong, Lilly!”

He glanced at her. She looked up at him with tearful eyes.

“I just wanted revenge for Uncle Ed.”

“I did too until I found out who he was and how old he was! That boy could have been Ed's step son if Kristen had lived!”

Lilly fell silent. They drove on, then Oswald took the car closer to a place that held terrible memories and parked off the road.

“Get out.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just get out of the car, Lilly. And bring that parasol – you're going to need it!”

She got out of the car and stood beside her father.

“Why do I need it?”

He looked down at her. He leaned hard on his cane, thankful for the contact with the ground to remind him that years had passed by since his incarceration and torture.

“ _You're behaving like a dangerous psychopath. So I'm putting you in Arkham.”_

She looked to the gates in the distance as her eyes filled with fear.

“No Daddy, don't!”

“I'm going to take you in there and ask them to lock you away and you won't be coming out for a very long time,” Oswald replied, “I'll tell them what you wanted to do to Ivan. They won't let you go. You'll be locked in a little cell and that's where you will stay. You won't see home again for many years!”

Lilly was terrified. She was sobbing as she grabbed at his jacket.

“ _No, no I don't want to be locked away! Please don't do this, I'm so sorry!”_

Oswald glared at her.

“I don't care how sorry you are, it's too late for sorry! You tried to hurt Ivan, you're dangerous! I can't let this go unpunished!” He leaned closer to her, lowering his voice, “You'd better hide that blade when we go inside – I'll tell them it's a regular parasol. You'll need it to defend yourself every day, Lilly. There are worse people in there than little girls who want to cut other kids fingers off!”

Lilly sobbed again as she looked up at him.

“But he's not a little kid, he's a bigger kid!”

“He's barely a year older than you!”

“Please, Daddy, I'm sorry! Please don't put me in Arkham!”

Oswald straightened up and looked towards the gates.

“I'm sorry, Lilly, but I have no choice.”

She dragged in a breath and wiped her eyes.

“I'll be good! I'll be nice to Ivan! I don't like him but I'll tolerate him! I get that he didn't understand when he shot Uncle Ed, he didn't know the whole story, if he did, he wouldn't have done it! He doesn't deserve what I did, I was wrong! I want to go home, _please_ take me home!”

“No, I can't take that risk,” he said, and he put a hand on her shoulder and took a few steps towards the gates.

“ _No please!”_ she cried, digging her fingers into the fabric of his jacket, _“Please don't lock me away, please, Daddy!”_

As he looked down at his sobbing daughter, the thought ran through his head that she had no idea how hard it was for him to do this. He had made his point, she was crying and scared and she understood that she had gone too far. She even grasped the fact that Ivan did not deserve what she had planned for him. But bringing her here and seeing her so scared, actually believing that he would have put her in Arkham, was very tough to watch.

“Lilly,” he said softly, and he leaned closer and brushed a tear from her eye, “Look at me...”

She raised her gaze from the ground, tearfully looking into her father's ice blue eyes.

“You're going to tolerate Ivan?”

“Yes,” she said as she gave a little sob.

“And you understand what you did was wrong?”

She nodded.

“Do you also understand this is where you will end up one day if you don't think before you do something as serious as murder?”

“Yes, Daddy, I understand... I didn't think. I didn't listen when Mommy said about the reasons why Ivan shot Uncle Ed. I didn't listen when she said Ivan was forgiven. I should have thought about it!”

“Yes, young lady, you _should_ have thought about it!” Oswald agreed, and then the look in his eyes softened. His heart was breaking for Lilly, he couldn't bear to see his little girl shed any more tears.

“I brought you here to make a point,” he said, and then he put his arm around her shoulder, “I wasn't going to put you in Arkham, Daddy would never do that, I love you too much to do such a terrible thing!”

She hugged him tightly, buried her face against his jacket and wept.

Oswald kept his arm around her as he spoke softly to her.

“Arkham is a horrible place,” he told her as he hugged her tightly, “I was imprisoned there before you were born. I can't even tell you about it until you're older, it would give you nightmares! I would _never_ put you in a place like this, but I'm trying to make sure you don't wind up here when you're older, do you understand?”

She raised her head and nodded. Her face was streaked with tears and he brushed them away, then he smiled.

“I think we should go home now. And we don't have to say another word about this. But make sure you never do anything like this again! And you're right, you don't have to like Ivan, but you can tolerate him. I'm asking you to be kind, for your Uncle Ed. Will you do that for me?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Let's go home,” he replied, then he took her by the hand, led her over to the car and they both got in. Then he glanced at his daughter.

“Are you okay now?”

She nodded.

“I'm really sorry. I won't hurt Ivan again.”

“I'm very glad to hear that,” Oswald replied, then he started up the car and they drove away, heading for home.

 

That evening the whole family were gathered in the front room. Lilly was very quiet. Ivy had demanded she hand over her weapon, then she had removed the blade from the parasol and handed it back to her, telling her she would be checking all her other parasols, too.

“I'm sorry,” Lilly said to Ivan, she glanced at him as he sat on the sofa next to Ed, then she looked away.

“You didn't hurt me,” Ivan replied, “I'm okay.”

“I will never hurt you again. I have also decided to tolerate you,” Lilly replied, and then she forced a smile and turned her head away.

Ivy glanced over at Oswald and smiled, saying a silent thank you.

Just then Gertrude came in and set a tray down on the table.

“I have made some tea for everyone,” she said.

“Thank you, Mother,” Oswald replied, “At least I won't have to worry about seeing Fish Mooney if I drink it!”

“Although I think a part of you enjoyed that,” Rose replied as she gave him a secretive smile.

“I have no desire to be an umbrella boy again.”

“No?” Rose asked as she started to smile, “That's not the impression I got...”

“Oh really?” added Ivy as a playful look lit up her eyes.

Oswald laughed and his face flushed.

“Close the subject! The kids are still up!”

Then Lilly looked over at her father.

“What's an umbrella boy?” she asked.

Oswald coughed and set the tea back down on the table as he heard Ivy and Rose giggle.

“It's... just someone who works for a powerful person and holds their umbrella for them when it's raining,” Oswald said quickly.

“Okay,” Lilly replied, then she briefly glanced at Ivan but said no more.

 

After Ivy had taken Eddie and Lilly home, Ozzie went off to bed and Rose told Ivan to wait a while, because there was a phone call to be made and she wanted him to hear it.

“Are we ready?” asked Ed with a playful look in his eyes.

“Do it!” Oswald said, “I've been looking forward to this!”

Ed drew his phone from his pocket, made a call and asked to speak to Jim Gordon. Ivan looked on, listening as Ed began to speak.

“Jim, it's Edward Nygma.”

“Ed, how are you?” Jim asked.

“I'm very well, thank you. I'm making a good recovery. That's why I wanted to call.. I've remembered some small details about the man who shot me...”

“What?” whispered Ivan.

“Shh!” said Oswald as a look of amusement danced in his eyes. Ed was speaking again.

“Well, I don't really recall much. I think he was around six feet tall... Or maybe average height...”

“That's not very specific,” Jim said.

“It all happened so fast no one really got a good look at him... I think I saw his face.”

“You think?”

“He was maybe forty... or possibly around sixty five years old. Blue eyes... or maybe brown... it's so hazy. I'm sorry, that's the best it's going to get. I've been told I'll never be able to remember that day clearly.”

“If you remember anything definite, be sure to let me know,” Jim replied, “I can't even show you pictures of suspects based on that information – you'd be looking through the whole archive!”

“I'll be sure to let you know if I remember anything definite,” he replied, “I must go, I really need some rest. I still get very tired.”

Jim thanked him for calling, and then Ed hung up and exchanged a glance with Oswald and both men laughed.

“What just happened?” asked Ivan, looking confused.

“That's called lying to the police,” Rose said, “Ed just made sure no one will ever suspect you of the shooting.”

“Thanks, Ed,” Ivan looked over at him, and Ed chuckled.

“It was fun! Lying to the GCPD is nothing new to either of us!”

“And now you really should go to bed,” Rose reminded Ivan, who got up, said goodnight and then left the room.

Now they were alone, Rose looked to her husband, then to Ed.

“What's the plan with Ivan?”

“We have to find him somewhere to live,” Ed replied.

“I was thinking maybe we should put him in the orphanage for now, just so he has a proper place to stay. He can come and stay with us at weekends?”

“It has to be done,” Ed agreed, “We can't just let him stay here forever, he's a missing kid.”

“But I want to keep him!” exclaimed Gertrude as she returned to the room, “Why can we not just keep him here? He is such a good boy!”

“We have to do the right thing,” Oswald replied, “I'm sorry, Mother – but we can't keep a runaway indefinitely.”

“Oswald, you are breaking your mother's heart! That poor boy needs a home!”

He gave a sigh.

“Please don't make me feel bad about this, Mom – we just need him to be officially off the missing list and then he can come over at weekends. That's the best I can do.”

“I still want to keep him!” Gertrude complained, and then she left the room again.

Ed noticed Oswald looked saddened by his mother's disappointment.

“You're right,” he reminded him, “We can't do this any other way. I'll take him to the orphanage tomorrow. The sooner we do this, the sooner he can start coming over for the weekend. I want to get to know him, he's Kristen's son – I feel like I never want to turn my back and walk away from him. He's got no one else to be there for him.”

Oswald leaned back against the sofa and looked to Rose and then to Ed.

“For now, as long as he stays at the orphanage and we do this properly, he can start coming over at weekends. _For now_.”

Rose started to smile.

“And maybe later if he gets along well with the kids...”

Oswald saw the hopeful look in Ed's eyes and he smiled.

“Maybe my mother will get her wish. I hate to disappoint her.”

“I was thinking about the spare room at the back of the house,” Ed said, “It's next to the one he's been staying in – it's much bigger.”

“He would have a lot of space in there,” Oswald agreed, “It needs redecorating, some new furniture... I can see that working out well.”

Rose looked to her husband and Ed and she smiled warmly.

“I love you guys so much!” she said.

 

It was almost ten am the next morning when Lilly made her way down the path and up to the back door. She tapped on the glass with her closed parasol and as Rose opened the door, she looked up at her.

“I would like to speak to Ivan. May I come in? I have no sinister motive. You can check my parasol too, Mom took the blade out.”

“I believe you, Lilly,” she said, “Come in.”

Lilly entered the house and then stood there and looked about the kitchen.

“Where is Ivan?”

“He's leaving today,” Rose replied, “You see, because he ran away we have to hand him in so people know he's safe.”

To her surprise, Lilly's eyes widened in dismay.

“Oh no!” she said, and she ran through the kitchen and up the hallway in time to see Ivan heading for the front door with her father and her Uncle Ed.

“ _Wait!”_ she called.

As they turned in surprise, Ed lowered his voice.

“I wonder what she's planning now?”

“Hopefully nothing,” Oswald replied.

Lilly looked worried as she joined them.

“I said I was sorry. Don't send him away!”

“Ivan has to go,” Oswald told her, “We've explained to him that he's missing and the authorities need to know he's okay. He's going to the orphanage.”

“Can he stay if I give him a job?” Lilly asked.

“He can't do that, he's thirteen,” Ed reminded her.

“But he's coming back at the weekends to stay with us,” Oswald added. Again, he was surprised to see her reaction. She seemed happy about that idea all of a sudden... Lilly turned to Ivan and made her announcement.

“I have decided to accept you, Ivan. I have plans for you.”

“What plans?” asked Ivan.

Lilly smiled.

“I would like you to be my parasol boy!”

“Your what?”

“My parasol boy, like Daddy used to be an umbrella boy!”

Ed stifled laughter as Oswald shot him a glance and his face turned scarlet.

“I'm not saying a word, Oz!”

Ed was still laughing.

Lilly had not noticed their reaction as she looked at Ivan.

“You can hold my parasol for me.”

“What's in it for me?” Ivan asked.

“Acceptance,” Lilly replied, “But no access to the den because that's just for family. Do we have a deal?”

“Okay,” Ivan replied, “I'm just glad you don't hate me any more.”

“Spit and swear to seal the deal,” added Lilly.

Ivan looked at her blankly.

“What?”

“Oh no, not that gross spit thing again,” Ed turned away as he laughed again.

Lilly spat in her hand and held it out to Ivan.

“You do the same.”

He reluctantly turned his hand over, spat into it and then she shook his hand.

“Now the deal is sealed,” Lilly told him, “What's promised is promised and won't be broken,”

“Ugh...” Ivan said as he discreetly wiped his wet hand.

“At least she doesn't want to kill him now,” Ed said in a lowered voice, then he turned back to Ivan, “We should leave. The sooner we do this, the sooner you can come back and see us at weekends.”

Ivan paused to give Oswald a brief hug, then he glanced to Lilly.

“See you soon,” he said, then he walked away with Ed.

“Bye, Parasol Boy,” Lilly said quietly, and she stood there next to her father and watched as the car drove away.

 

Rose:

_'In the weeks that followed, Ivan did as we asked. He stayed at the orphanage and didn't run away. He stayed with us at weekends, and we got to know him well. He and Ed got along very well, and when Lilly called for him, he held her parasol and walked her over to the den._

_The time passed. Ozzie's eight birthday came and went, then Lilly's twelfth. By the time winter was over, Ed no longer had dizzy spells. He was over the shooting. Life was good, even the oil company had turned its fortunes around. By now we had plans for Ivan. But it wasn't me and Oswald who planned to adopt him – Ed wanted to become his legal guardian. It was complicated, because of the fact that Ed had accidentally killed Ivan's mother so long ago. But Oswald resorted to some blackmail and handed out a few bribes and then the red tape didn't exist. We didn't tell Ivan about any of it, because Ed wanted to surprise him. Everything was going so well for us. Then something happened, something unexpected that woke up sleeping demons in my head. As memories of the darkest time of my life came back to haunt me, for a moment, I really was back there. It was also the day I nearly killed Ivy Pepper...'_

 

It was three days before the weekend, three days before Ivan would find out he could stay with Ed forever. The mood was good that night in the Cobblepot mansion, they had enjoyed dinner and then a few drinks, Oswald's mother was over at Ivy's place until she returned, Lilly and Eddie had gone home with her at ten pm, Ozzie was with them for a sleep over, and Ivy was planning to leave around midnight so Gertrude could come back and finally get some rest.

They were sitting together in the front room, the fire was blazing, the lamp light was soft and Ed was beside Ivy on the sofa. Oswald was across the other side of the room on another sofa, he was resting on it as Rose sat on the floor on the soft rug. They had shared two bottles of wine that night, but no one was noticeably drunk.

“I've been thinking,” Rose said as she set her wine glass on the coffee table and turned her head and looked up at her husband, “That thing you told me about... when you were tripping and you imagined Fish Mooney dominating you? I was thinking, you said a while back about having a threesome with me and Ivy...”

Oswald leaned back against the couch as he ran his hand over her hair and a smile came to his face as he felt the start of an erection.

“I would very much like to have two red heads at once!”

Ivy held out her glass as Ed refilled it. They were sitting together with a small gap between them, as they usually did.

“I don't get the threesome thing,” Ivy reminded him, “I'm just not into it.”

Ed laughed.

“And I'm not watching!” he added, “I love seeing you come, Oswald, but not with my best friend. Look at me and Ivy, she's got great legs and I'm not even attempting to make a move!” then he laughed and so did Ivy.

“I'd wonder what was wrong with you if you did that, Ed!” she exclaimed, then she paused for thought, drank some wine and set the glass down.

“Maybe Rose, we could both dominate Pengie together. Not actually touch him, just tease him. Make him get on his knees and then force him to jerk off in front of us... “

Ed laughed again.

“Look at his face, girls! I think that's a yes!”

Oswald's eyes were shining with enthusiasm.

“Let's do it now, you're making me ache!”

“No, not tonight,” Ivy replied, “We'll make you wait for it... what do you think, Rose?”

As Rose thought about it, she started to smile.

“I think we should wait and surprise him.”

Oswald laughed out loud.

“This is torture! I love it, but it's torture!”

Then he leaned against the chair, sat up and reached for his cane. As he stood up and deep pain shot through his damaged leg, Oswald gave a gasp, then slid to the floor, dropping his cane as he clutched at his leg and cried out.

Rose was up on her knees, Ed was beside them in a split second, then Ivy got up and came over, looking at Oswald in alarm.

“What the hell did you do?” Rose said anxiously.

Oswald had his back to the sofa, he was leaning against it hard as he broke into a sweat and his face paled. He tried to move again and more pain shot through him, and as he cried out, Rose saw fear in his eyes.

“ _It hurts...”_ he was breathing hard, his body was tense as he gasped for air and waited for the pain to fade out.

“Oz?” Ed sounded as alarmed as he looked.

“My leg...” pain registered on Oswald's face, “Don't touch it, I can't move it yet...”

“What's wrong with your leg?” Rose said as panic crept into her voice.

He was still struggling with the pain.

“It hurts to the bone!”

He tried to straighten out his leg and then took in a sharp breath, closing his eyes as he rested against the sofa.

“I can't get up.”

“You have been feeling the cold in the damaged joints this winter,” Ed reminded him as he knelt beside him, then he cautiously started to rub at his ankle. Oswald gave another whimper of pain as Ed carried on with the careful massage.

“It's okay,” he said calmly, “It's just your busted leg giving you trouble, my poor little beat up, battle scarred Penguin.. I'll fix it for you.”

“No it's not okay,” Oswald gasped, “Stop... it still hurts!”

Rose was beside him watching, as a cold feeling of dread swept over her:

_He had felt the cold more than usual this past winter, now he was in agony and said it hurt to the bone...Last time she had seen him like this was before Ivy had cured him, when she had feared he would die from the inherited disease his mother called the Cobblepot curse...Oswald was in the same kind of pain he had been in back then, deep, intense..._

Ivy was standing over them.

“What's the matter, Pengie?” she said as she knelt down next to Rose, looking at Oswald with deep concern in her eyes.

Rose turned her head, looking hard at Ivy:

_No. This couldn't be happening... Ivy had said he was cured, Ivy had said she had her formula had cured him... Had Ivy lied?_

“Where is the pain, honey?” Ivy asked.

“My ankle, my knee... my whole leg hurts now...”

As Ed and Ivy tried to help him, Rose felt as if she had just lost contact with the world around her as her heart raced and all the fears of the past came rushing back:

_This was too much like before._

_What if Ivy had lied?_

_What if Oswald's cure had been temporary, what if he was sick all over again?_

_In her mind, she was back there, watching him fight a losing battle, seeing him fade away and his last moments being agony before he was sealed in that freezing unit, as she stood over it, fearing she would never see him again..._

“It's okay,” Ivy said to him, “Ed's going to take your shoe off and then you can lie back and I'll try and give you some proper massage.”

Rose saw pain register on his face as Ed took off his shoe, then as he tried to move again, the pain caught him. Rose felt her eyes blur with tears, then she turned around, smashed the wine glass on the corner of the coffee table, and in a swift movement, Ivy was on her back, Rose was pinning her down and that jagged wine glass stem was up against her throat as Ivy froze, feeling the glass prick at her flesh as Rose glared down at her tearfully.

“ _What the fuck...”_ Ivy gasped.

Rose was staring down at her as the past replayed in her mind, putting her back in that terrible day when Oswald was close to death and sealed inside the cryogenic chamber.

“ _Did you lie, Ivy? Maybe you didn't cure him, maybe it worked long enough for you to bring your money grabbing, thieving slut ass into this family! I will not watch my husband fade away and die! I will not let that happen, do you understand me? My baby is not growing up without his father! I can't face that again!”_

“Baby?” Ivy said in confusion as she froze on the ground, afraid to move in case the shard pierced her throat.

“Rose...” Ed was beside her, she heard his voice and remembered he was beside her when Oswald had been sealed in the chamber. And back then, he had been her strength.

“Don't hurt her,” he whispered, as he reached around and closed his hand over her wrist, drawing the glass away from Ivy's throat, then he used his other hand to cover her throat protectively.

“Drop it,” he said, “If you cut her now, you'll cut me. Drop the glass, Rose.”

She gave a sob as she dropped the broken glass, then Ed grabbed her and turned her around to face him.

“Rose,” he said calmly as he placed his hands on her shoulders, “Listen to me, focus...”

Rose looked into his eyes and felt bewildered.

“Where's Ozzie?”

“He's having a sleepover with Lilly and Eddie.”

“No, he's just a baby...”

“He's eight years old. You saw Oswald in pain and you had a flashback.”

Rose took a deep breath as she blinked away tears. She felt caught between then and now, and then felt like now, as if the two had blurred.

“I don't want him to die!”

“ _He didn't. Ivy cured him.”_

Suddenly she was back in the present. She didn't recall how the hell she had allowed herself to smash that glass and go for Ivy with such ferocity, but as she turned her head and looked at her, anger burned in her eyes.

“If he's sick again, you lied! You did it to get a place in this family, you even had a baby with Ed for the price of a diamond mine!”

Ivy was up off the floor and she wiped a trace of blood from her neck and stared at Rose in disbelief.

“Have you lost your fucking mind? I _did_ cure him! I also cured our child! And I joined this family because I love Pengie as much as you do, he's the father of my daughter! The diamond mine was a gift, an investment for the kids, you crazy bitch!”

Oswald had managed to sit upright. The pain was still throbbing, but now he was focused on what had just happened.

“Rose...it's just my leg,” he said, “I'm not sick again!” then he gave into the debilitating pain and rested against the sofa once more.

Ed was still kneeling on the floor with Rose.

“I think what happened was this: You saw Oswald in pain and it reminded you of when he was sick and you had a flashback to the day he was close to death and had to be frozen. You probably have post traumatic stress from that day. Ozzie was a baby back then, of course you didn't want him to grow up with out his Dad. He won't, Oswald is cured now. Ivy wasn't lying about that. She cured Lilly and then she cured our husband and that was eight years ago. Are you back with me now? Do you understand?”

Rose turned her head and looked at her husband. He was still getting over the pain, and suddenly, she understood the situation.

“I don't know why that just happened to me...”

“It was a flashback,” Ed repeated, then he gave her a hug, “You're okay now.”

“Are you okay, Ivy?” Oswald asked as he managed to sit up again. Now the pain was wearing off, he was able to rub at his ankle cautiously.

“Ivy, I'm sorry – I don't know what came over me...” Rose said as she wiped her eyes.

Ivy glared at her.

“ _I'll live,”_ she snapped, _“And you can shove your apology up your ass! Now I think I'll take my lying, scheming slut ass off home to my two kids, fathered by both these guys, who I genuinely love with all my heart!”_

She stormed out and moments later the door slammed.

“I am so sorry,” Rose said again.

“It was a flashback, not your fault,” Ed reminded her, “I must admit, tonight was also a bit of a trigger for me.”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh as he tried and failed to get up.

“Let's just say it was down to me and call it a night,” he said, “And I need some help to get up!”

Ed was there first, then Rose joined him and together they helped Oswald to stand.

“Leave your cane,” he said, “Me and Rose will take you upstairs then I'll come back down and clean up the glass.”

 

With their support, walking was easier. Climbing the stairs was better than expected, and by the time they had reached the bedroom, Oswald was able to sit down on the bed and cautiously stretch out his leg.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Rose asked.

“I am now. My leg is getting worse, we always knew it would... I've never seen you so scared, never seen you lose it like that before.”

Rose sat down beside him as tears filled her eyes again.

“You've never seen it because you don't remember what I went through, not when you got really sick... what we all went through! I was suddenly back there, but still here and thinking Ivy had lied about the cure, I thought I was going to lose you all over again!”

Oswald turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes.

“I'm fine!” he promised, “Everything you're afraid of is in the past. The pain was in my ankle and my knee and it got bad because it's been getting worse lately. That's because I've been limping on damaged bones for fifteen years! It will get worse. I've always known that. But I'm not sick, you have to remember that. Please don't ever lose it like that again. You could have killed Ivy.”

The bad memory was lingering as she blinked away tears.

“But I thought I was losing you again!”

“You won't ever do that, Rose,” he promised her, then Oswald wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, and in his embrace she finally felt safe, the strength of it was enough to remind her the past was definitely _not_ repeating itself...

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 

It was the day before Ivan came home. Rose had stayed at the house and avoided Ivy since the fight. It wasn't the first time she had quarrelled with Ivy – but what she had done had far exceeded any cross words that had occasionally passed between them. Then Ed and Gertrude took the kids to the park. Oswald stayed behind because his leg was still sore, since the night the pain had struck he had managed a day at work and then left the daily running of business to his executives, explaining that he needed rest due to health reasons. One glance at him as he rested on the bed with a bitter look in his eyes told Rose all she needed to know – he was reflecting on the past, thinking of all that he couldn't go back and change.

“Oswald?” said Rose as she sat beside him, “What's on your mind? You've been so quiet today.”

She saw deep resentment burning in his eyes.

“It's not fair!” he said, “I've been through so much and worked so hard to make this life for us! After Ivy cured me she said the formula would even keep me young – look at me, she was being honest! But she couldn't do anything about my limp. After all she did for me, she couldn't fix the one thing that's going to fuck up the rest of my life!”

“I remember you once told me you have a very high tolerance to pain,” Rose reminded him, “Maybe that will make a difference.”

He shook his head.

“It won't make a difference now. I always thought it would be many years before the damage took its toll. I was wrong. I won't be able to keep up with the kids, I'm going to wind up unable to walk, that's the one thing I wanted to avoid!”

“But we knew it would happen one day.”

“Yes Rose, one day! Not yet!”

He blinked away tears.

“I can barely recall a time when I haven't lived with pain, either from sickness or from fights or gun shot wounds... Life is different now, it should get better, not harder!”

Rose shifted closer to him, then she ran her fingers through his hair as she smiled, her gaze reflecting love as she tried to banish the fear from his eyes.

“It's never easy,” she said, “No one gets it easy. Life is like that. And you're right, it isn't fair. But I'll still love you when you can't use the cane any more. So will Ed.”

Her words had brought him out of despair. He reached for her and kissed her, then as she remembered his leg was still painful, she carefully straddled his hips as he reached down, impatiently tugging at his belt. She slid off her underwear and as she leaned down and kissed him, he grabbed at her hips and entered her with a firm thrust, determined to focus on the warmth of her body to distract him from his thoughts of a bleak future. As they moved together, he breathlessly whispered to her.

“You'll still love me when I can't walk?”

“If it comes to that, yes!”

As he moved against her again she slid downwards, pulling his jacket open, then tugging at his buttons as her hands roamed over his chest and she kissed him again.

“You're still the man I fell in love with,” she whispered as her lips grazed his ear, “No one could make me feel like you do...”

“I'm powerful?”

She ran her fingers through his hair.

“ _Invincible...”_

He gave a sharp cry and pushed his face into her hair as he throbbed inside her. Then as he breathed hard she separated from him and turned on her side, sliding her hand over to rest against the spot where she could feel his heart beat.

“Did that take your mind off the pain?”

“Honestly? No, Rose. My leg still hurts.”

He kissed her fondly and then as she looked into his eyes she felt relieved to see that look of despair had faded. They stayed together for a while, watching the firelight flicker, then Oswald's thoughts turned back to Rose and Ivy's fight.

“Would you do something for me, please?”

“Anything,” she replied.

“I want you to go over to Ivy's place and talk to her. Just make things right again. You two haven't spoken since that fight. Please, do it now before Ed gets back with the kids.. Ivan's coming home tomorrow and I don't want any bad feeling in this family – I want us to be strong and united.”

Rose gave a sigh.

“Okay, I'll go over there.”

She kissed him and then got up.

“I won't fight with her. If she starts on me, I'll walk out.”

“I don't think she'll do that,” Oswald replied, then he settled back on the bed and tidied his clothing, ready to take a nap and grab more rest before the kids came home.

 

Half an hour later, Rose had changed into warm clothing and walked across the estate to Ivy's house. She went around the back and found the kitchen door open, so went inside and called her name, but got no reply. She guessed she would be with her plants, so took the corridor that led from the kitchen to the greenhouse, where she entered a world of greenery where plants grew all around, some towering up towards the glass ceiling, reaching for daylight.

“Ivy?” she called again.

“What do you want, Rose?” Ivy didn't sound too enthusiastic about her visit. Her voice was coming from a narrow path that led around to the back of the building, and she followed it, finding a small room where Ivy sat at a desk working on a computer. On the other side of the room, she had cluttered lab equipment that was not currently in use. She turned from the screen and looked at her.

“Let me guess... Pengie asked you to come over and make things right between us?”

Rose wanted to deny it, but Ivy caught the look in her eyes.

“I knew it. You don't have to pretend to be sorry, Rose. You said what you thought of me the other night. You're wrong, by the way. _Everything_ you said about me was wrong.”

Hurt reflected in her eyes. Rose gathered her thoughts as she wondered if there was any kind of apology that Ivy could accept after all she had said and done...

“I didn't mean to attack you. Like Ed said, I had a flashback. I didn't even know I'd react like that until it happened.”

Ivy opened up a drawer and took out a glass, then she drew out a bottle of scotch and opened it and poured a drink.

“I could have kicked your ass for attacking me!”

“I know that.”

“But I didn't dare,” Ivy paused to sip her drink, “For two reasons – firstly, both the men you live with – men I also have children with – wouldn't have forgiven me. Secondly, that glass was up against my throat and I couldn't move because if I made one bad slip, my kids would lose their mother.”

Rose thought again about how she had grabbed the glass and smashed it.

“I'm sorry. I'm not saying it to please Oswald. I mean it. What else can I say after doing something like that?”

Ivy swirled her drink and watched the liquid turn, then she drank some more and set the glass down.

“Do you want a drink?”

“No, too early for me.”

“It's never to early for a quick drink,” Ivy replied, “Just the one when it all gets too much.”

“I made you feel that way?”

Ivy put the bottle away and gave a heavy sigh.

“No, Rose. Let me explain my situation: I once saved a half drowned guy with a gunshot wound. I got close to him, I had sex with him, it was a crazy, irresponsible night and I got pregnant. But he was carrying a time bomb in his DNA that he passed on to our child. It took me three years to be sure I'd cured my daughter. Then I cured her father.”

“I know all this! I didn't mean what I said the other night. I was reliving the past, I was scared -”

“No, no, _listen_ to me...”

Ivy paused, she ran her fingers through her flame red hair then closed her eyes for a moment as she took a breath and composed her thoughts, then she met her gaze again.

“I did cure Pengie, just like I cured Lilly. The only difference is, Lilly wasn't sick because I wiped it from her genetic code before it could kick in. But I don't think that's the end of what Gertrude calls the Cobblepot curse. There's no threat to either of them – it's gone. But I _didn't_ take into account the fact that Pengie and his daughter were born with the condition. Think about it – he would kill anyone who crossed him and think nothing of it. Just like Lilly casually planned to kill Ivan. I think it causes some kind of change in the brain before birth that causes ... _Penguin traits_. And you can't fix crazy.”

“Oswald would never hurt those he loves. He's a good man.”

Ivy laughed as she shook her head.

“You can tell yourself that as many times as you like, but he's a killer, Rose. We both love two crazy guys who made names for themselves as criminals. Penguin rose to power by destroying everyone who blocked his path who he couldn't reason with. He once said he wanted Lilly to run Cobblepot Oil one day. Now he thinks Ozzie should do it. I agree - sensible Ozzie, who doesn't have a crazy bone in his body. You know he still has very powerful underworld connections?”

Rose nodded.

“He's now handing that side of his businesses to Lilly when she's older. I know he's right, she's right for that job. She'll probably be the new queen of Gotham one day. _Because she's like her Dad_.”

“And she might be as powerful as Oswald one day,” Rose replied.

“But right now she's just a kid,” Ivy reminded her, “A kid I have to watch because I know she has that killer instinct. And then there's Eddie, my sweet little boy by Edward Nygma. So far, he seems okay. But will he have a split personality like Ed when he grows up? I have to wait and find out.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Rose replied.

Ivy finished her drink.

“I guess my next drink should be coffee,” she said, “I have no plans on getting drunk in the daytime.”

“Lilly and Eddie will be okay,” Rose assured her, “And Oswald is a great father.”

Ivy smiled fondly.

“Yes, he is. I love him as much as you do, Rose. The only difference is, I didn't marry him. That's probably a good thing because I don't get the three way marriage thing. I still get to share him, I don't think I'll ever understand how you or Ed don't hate me for that. I just don't want to be part of a marriage that involves more than one partner. And I like my independence.”

“Can you forgive me for what I did to you?”

Ivy stood up.

“Come here,” she said, and as they hugged tightly, Rose knew all was forgiven. As Ivy let go she indicated to the computer screen.

“Let me show you what I've been working on. It's actually quite an old project but I keep hitting a wall.”

As Ivy took a seat, Rose stood beside her.

“This is a derivative on the meds I created to help him heal after the formula wiped out the sickness,” she said, “If I can find a suitable carrier for it, I could, in theory, rebuild the worn out ankle and knee joints. But it would still be maintaining heavily damaged bones, so it could reverse some of the wear and tear but he will always have a limp. I can't fix his level of damage completely – remember he healed badly because he was sick at the time, so it's never going to be perfect.”

Rose looked at her in surprise.

“You've been planning this all the long?”

Ivy nodded as she focused on the screen and studied some data.

“Yes I have but, until I find a suitable carrier for the formula, I can't try it out. Even when it's ready, it could be too risky. It would have to go straight into the affected joints and it's very strong stuff, it could cure him or destroy everything in its path. If it didn't work, he could lose his leg.”

“That's what he's afraid of,” Rose replied, “If he can't walk he doesn't want to be in a wheelchair. He doesn't want the leg amputated either. And he hates taking pain pills. Basically, he wants to hobble around on that cane forever.”

“And he can't do that,” Ivy said, then she turned off the screen.

“I won't mention it to him yet – nothing is certain. I don't even know if I can find a way forward with this. It could be something or nothing,” then Ivy checked her watch, “The kids will be back soon.”

“I'd better go back to the house,” Rose replied, and the two women exchanged a smile. The fight was forgotten.

“Keep working on that cure.”

“Don't worry Rose,” Ivy replied, “I won't give up.”

Then Rose left the greenhouse and Ivy looked back at the darkened screen, her mind still on the formula and the problems that surrounded it.

“Oh Pengie,” she murmured, “I want to help... I'm just not sure that I can this time...”

 

Next day when Ivan arrived, Oswald was up and hobbling about on his cane, determined not to miss such an important day. Ozzie had been told to stay silent about the surprise, and he kept out of the way. Lilly was at home with her mother, as Ivy had told her to leave him alone to get settled in.

Oswald opened the front door and smiled warmly at Ivan as he and Ed stood together on the porch.

“Welcome back,” he said, “I think you're going to enjoy this weekend, Ivan. It might even be the best weekend you've ever had!”

“Why?” the boy asked.

Oswald glanced at Ed.

“We have a surprise for you,” Ed told him, and as they went inside, he asked what it was.

“Let's take your bag to your room,” Ed told him, “Then we can talk about it.”

Then he led the way and Ivan followed him up. Oswald looked to the staircase and then took a deep breath and decided it would be worth the extra pain in his worn out, busted leg to see the look on Ivan's face when he realised he was home to stay. He climbed the stairs slowly and carefully, and he found it was far easier today. Better days gave him hope that the chronic pain had been a fluke and wouldn't return, but that was starting to be a pattern of thinking now, and he knew it – the pain always came back, because his damaged leg wasn't getting any better.

Oswald reached the open doorway to Ivan's room and stood outside, looking in and keeping a distance, wanting to share the moment without interrupting Ed, who was speaking to Ivan over by the window.

They stood next to a view of the garden, the sun was shining through soft white nets, the room was decorated blue and white, there was a rug in the middle of the floor, the room was filled with brand new furniture and he was thrilled to see he had a new games console.

“We thought you might like this room because it's bigger,” Ed told him, “It's not as big as Ozzie's room, but it's almost the same size. And I got you some new clothes because I know you don't have much stuff of your own. If you need anything else just ask and I'll get it for you.”

Ivan looked around the room in surprise.

“I'm only here at weekends... you didn't have to go to so much trouble for me. But thank you, it's great. I appreciate everything you all do for me.”

Ed smiled.

“Actually you don't just stay here at weekends any more, you can stay forever now. I've become your legal guardian. Is that okay with you?”

Ivan stared at him.

“But when? How?”

Ed laughed.

“Oswald helped to sort out the legal stuff. He's a very influential man, he can get anything done. You can grow up here, be like a brother to Ozzie.”

“Really? I don't have to leave again?”

“Yes really, Ivan!”

The boy suddenly became tearful as he thanked him, Ed gave him a hug and then stepped back.

“I'll leave you to get settled in and then you can go out and play. By the way, when Lilly comes over to visit, you don't have to play with her all the time if you don't want to. Just think of her as that annoying girl who lives next door. I know she didn't exactly make you welcome when you first came here.”

“That's okay,” he replied, “She's... a bit weird but I kind of like her. And she doesn't have any friends, Ivy told me that, she said she doesn't ever have friends from school over to play, no one wants to hang around with her.”

“Well, she's very unusual, but it's nice that you're so kind to her...”Ed paused for thought, “There's some other stuff... Oh yes, you're starting a new school on Monday, I know you won't get into trouble because you're a good kid but just a reminder, please don't skip homework or get into fights or skip school.”

“I won't do that, Ed.”

“And if you play out with Lilly and Ozzie together and you all go to the barn, keep an eye on Lilly. She's not allowed candles or matches in there.”

Ivan paused, thinking about Lilly's rules.

“I'm not allowed in the barn. She said it's just for her and Ozzie and Eddie. She even put a sign up outside that says _No Parasol Boy Allowed_.”

He shook his head.

“Oh she's such an evil -”

He turned his head and saw Oswald coming into the room, “She's such a little meanie,” he said with a laugh, “I'm sure that will change in time. Ivy would have told her by now, she'll know I'm your legal guardian and you're staying permanently at the house. That might make a difference.”

“Welcome home, Ivan,” Oswald said with a smile as he stood there leaning on his cane, “I hope you'll be very happy here.”

Ivan smiled.

“I will be,” he said.

Oswald looked at Ed and saw joy in his eyes. This was what he needed, it was what they both needed – Ivan had a home and the chance to be closer to Ed, and Ed got to raise Kristen's son. He was sure it would work out just fine.

 

Rose was also upstairs, but she was in the bathroom. The door was locked and she paced the floor, not wanting to even glance at the test as it started to develop. _Leave it,_ she told herself, _Leave it for a good five minutes, just wait, don't look at it until you're totally sure of the result._ It had been almost five minutes but it had felt like forever and she still didn't want to look. She was more than six weeks late and she had put this off hoping she was just late, now was not the time to have a baby, not when Ed was so recently recovered from the shooting and Ivan had just arrived to settle into the house. Then there was Oswald's problem with his leg, she didn't know how bad that was going to get. No, this was not the right time to have another child... There had been a few times they had not been careful, Oswald was fond of spontaneous moments of passion and once he was all over her, all her reason and careful thought flew out the window...

She gave a heavy sigh and turned around and picked up the test. As she looked at it, she just stood there for a moment, still staring at the word that said _Pregnant_. They hadn't planned this, not at least for another year. It was a shock. Not a bad shock, but still a shock all the same...

She unlocked the bathroom and went out into the hallway. Oswald was heading towards her and Ed was beside him, she noticed he was leaning heavier on his cane and his limp was much more pronounced now. She was sure she had never noticed it as much as she did at that moment. The thought about timing came to mind again and suddenly she was tearful.

“Ivan's thrilled to be home!” Ed said as they joined her, then as they both noticed she looked tearful, Oswald stepped closer and a look of concern came to his gaze.

“What's the matter, Rose?”

“This,” she said, and showed him the test result.

His jaw dropped and that same look of wonder came to his eyes as it had when she had told him about Ozzie almost nine years before.

“We have another baby!” he said excitedly.

She blinked away more tears.

“And Ed's only just got over the shooting, Ivan's yet to settle in and your leg is giving you hell... this is the worst time it could have happened!”

“No, it's wonderful news!”

As he threw his arms around her and hugged her, for a moment, he didn't even need to lean on his cane.

“It's not a bad time, it could never be a bad time for another baby, Rose!”

He kissed her, then hugged her again, then his leg gave him hell and he leaned on his cane as Ed congratulated them both with a big hug. Oswald was still smiling as he let go and stepped back from his embrace.

“I must go and tell Mother!” he said as joy shone in his eyes, “She's going to be thrilled!”

Then he turned away and hurried off, too happy over the baby news to notice the pain in his leg as he headed for the stairs.

“Do you think it's a bad time?” Rose asked.

Ed shook his head.

“No, Rose. I think you're worrying too much because your hormones are all over the place, which could also explain why you reacted so badly to that flashback. You don't have to worry about Ivan, he's been settling in for a long time – he's been staying with us every weekend for several months and he's overjoyed to come and live with us. And you don't need to worry about me – I'm over the shooting. As for Oswald, he's not even thinking about his leg, you just made him the happiest man in the world.”

Rose started to smile. Her doubts and fears were fading now. Yes, Oswald was overjoyed, and that was enough to remind her that this wasn't a bad time for a baby at all, and maybe she _did_ worry too much.

“Thanks, Ed.”

She hugged him.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“For putting my mind at rest,” she replied.

 

_Rose:_

_'Another month passed by. Oswald insisted that I rest as much as possible. I don't think he ever got over the shock of us losing that first pregnancy before Ozzie came along. His leg was still painful but he was managing with the cane. Finding out about the baby had been just what he needed to stop worrying so much – now he was looking forward to being a father again. I don't think he ever stopped being excited since hearing the news, I could see that shine in his eyes every single day as he thought about the future._

_Ivan settled in well, he enjoyed spending time with Ozzie and when Lilly came over, he went out to play – but I had to tell her to stop calling for him so early, and to stop waking him by throwing stones at his window._

_But I was about to find out that my years married to Oswald counted for little when he made decisions. He had his reasons for what he did, but I still felt like I was excluded, even after having a family, after going through every crisis this family had survived, when it came to major decisions, Oswald always kept his secrets with the one person he trusted above above me and Ed: His Mother...'_

 

It had started as a usual morning, Rose got up first, had breakfast, Ozzie was searching for his homework and she called upstairs to Ivan to help him find it. Ed drove the kids to school. As they left the house, and Rose waved to the kids and then closed the door, Oswald gave her a big hug, then a kiss, told her  _I love both of you_ and placed his hand on the tiny swelling that was barely detectable, and he still had that same sparkle in his eyes.

“Are you feeling well today?” he asked.

“Of course I am!” Rose replied, “Please stop worrying, I'm fine, so is the baby!”

“That's good to know. Because I would like you to take Mother shopping today.”

Rose felt mildly surprised by his request. He had been treating her like she was fragile, and now he wanted her to take Gertrude shopping?

“Are you sure you won't worry? I mean, I have to drive a car and walk around stores... I don't want you suddenly panicking and then I get a call asking me to come back, Oswald. I know how much you worry when I'm pregnant.”

He looked at her. For a moment she thought she saw a hint of tension in his eyes, then it was gone and he smiled brightly.

“It's a lovely morning, Rose! Take my mother into town and spend some cash! It's too early to buy stuff for the baby. I want you to both go out and have fun.”

“You're not worried about me?”

“Why would I worry, you're with Mother!”

He suddenly stepped closer and gave her a tight hug.

“I love you, Mrs Cobblepot.”

“I love you too. Oswald, is everything okay?”

“I'm fine!” he promised, “Go and enjoy your day. I just want to know that you and Mother have had fun.”

As he smiled again, she smiled too. It had been a while since she had been out alone with Gertrude and she was looking forward to it.

“Okay,” she agreed, “I'll do that.”

 

An hour later, they were ready to go. Rose got into the car wearing casual clothing and a light coat that was perfect for a fresh spring day. But Gertrude was in a pale blue dress and wore a long coat with fur trim over it, she had wrapped a brightly coloured silken scarf around her neck and with her long earrings, looked very grand for a casual day out shopping.

“We are going to have so much fun!” she said to Rose, then as the car started up she glanced at the house and deep worry briefly clouded her eyes, then she turned back to Rose and smiled as they drove away.

Once they were in the heart of the city, they travelled to the better end of the up town area, parked the car and headed for the stores.

“It is a lovely day,” Gertrude said as they walked past store fronts, “And a perfect time to think about the future. Have you and Oswald thought about names for the baby yet?”

“Not yet,” Rose replied, “But we will.”

Then her smile faded as she looked across the street. She stopped walking and Gertrude saw the look in her eyes, recognised the bridal store and understood why Rose had suddenly stopped.

“Oh Rose, it was long ago,” she said as she gently touched her arm.

In that moment, Rose recalled the gunfire, then diving for cover and hitting the sidewalk.

“I lost the baby that day,” she said as her eyes clouded with sadness.

“And then you and my wonderful son stayed strong and got through that sadness and along came Ozzie!” she reminded her firmly, “And now, he will have a brother or a sister...” suddenly her eyes widened as she was hit by a sudden idea, “Come with me! We shall find out about the baby! I know a lady, she has a store not too far from here. She is also a fortune teller, her name is Elena. I have known her many years.”

Rose laughed.

“I'm not sure I believe in fortune tellers but I'll give it try.”

“This will be _so_ exciting!” Gertrude exclaimed, then she led the way towards the end of the street, they turned a corner and began to walk down a smaller, narrow street. Here the store fronts were less grand and much smaller. They stopped outside an antique store and Gertrude gave a gasp as she saw a long, flowing dress in the window in a shade of faded green.

“Oh it is lovely!” she exclaimed, “I often buy clothing from Elena!”

As they went inside an old bell above the door jingled. The shelves were full of dusty old glass and china, rails of old clothing lined the walls. On the floor were paintings stacked up, and the place smelled like a dusty old attic. The woman who came out from behind a velvet curtain looked to be around the same age as Oswald's mother, she had long dark hair streaked with grey, but she had a touch of faded glamour about her with her ruby painted lips and her spidery eye lashes. She smiled warmly as they walked over to the glass counter, beneath it in a locked area were pieces of old silver jewellery.

“Gertrude!” she exclaimed in an accent that matched Oswald's mother, “It has been too long! How are you?”

To Rose's annoyance, Gertrude began a conversation with Elena – not in English – and as the two women spoke and Gertrude moved her hands expressively and her tone became intense, Rose felt excluded. But she guessed the two women had not seen each other for a while, and needed to catch up. Perhaps Gertrude had briefly forgotten she was standing beside her, she felt sure that was the reason why she was shut out of the conversation. Then Gertrude finally spoke in English again.

“And this is Rose, my Oswald's wife,” she said, “She is carrying his child.”

“Ah, such wonderful news!” Elena said, then she pulled back the curtain revealing the next room.

“Come through, I shall read the cards for you...”

 

They sat down at a circular table covered by an old tablecloth. The lamplight cast a warm glow, and as Elena struck a match, the candlelight cast across the table added an air of mystery. She was using playing cards, just an ordinary deck of cards. Rose was sitting beside Gertrude who looked across the table watching intently, clearly she was a believer. Rose was regarding this as entertainment. As the old woman knew Gertrude, she didn't doubt she would be making up all that she said...

She began to lay out the cards, three at the top, three in the middle and three at the bottom. Then she paused as she studied them.

“You have much love around you, Rose,” she began, “There is your husband and another man who is close to him, there is love between you all.”

_Of course,_ Rose thought, _everyone knows Oswald introduced multiple spouse marriages to Gotham..._

Elena continued:

“I see many children around you. Your son is a good boy. He is like his father in many ways – good ways. He will be a great businessman one day...and there is a great love of his life, who he will meet before the age of twenty. There is also a little boy, he is the son of the other man in the marriage... sweet little child. I see him working in...not police, no... something to do with crime scenes when he is older. I see another child in your house... not yours - adopted... a very good boy, he will always be someone you will all be proud of. _And then there is the girl_.”

Everything she had just said could easily had been taken from information passed by Gertrude in conversation, but there was something about the way she just made that statement that gave Rose a shiver.

Elena was still speaking:

“The girl is from the other side of the family... by another woman, and like her father in every way. She will grow up to walk in shadow...” she glanced to Gertrude, then back to Rose, “She does not just look like her father. She is another Penguin! It is her destiny.”

Gertrude looked truly stunned. Now Rose was shocked too – Oswald's remaining underworld investments were kept a heavily guarded secret, one look at Gertrude told Rose she had definitely not mentioned her son's plans for Lilly.

“This girl,” Elena said, “She will live with much danger when she is older. But there will be a man for her, a protector will come along. They are meant to be, it is destiny, written in the stars. He will be her light in a dark and deadly world, and one day, the father of her children. They will have a long and happy marriage, and be together forever,” she paused, then she smiled at Rose.

“Now, the new little one... it is a little girl, Rose. You and Oswald have a daughter on the way. She is very special, you did not plan her but she will bring you much joy. And she is a good girl. I believe she will like to sing, “ she smiled at Gertrude, “Like her Grandmother! She will love pretty things, she will love to dance.”

Then Gertrude spoke to her, and again to Rose's annoyance, she did not speak in English. Gertrude replied, and then Elena spoke in English again.

“Your son is a brave man, Gertrude. He has been through much in his life and he has carried much pain. He is stronger than you realise.”

Again, Rose figured everything she had said about the present could have been passed on from his mother – but not the part about Lilly's future. It was a strange coincidence that she had seemed to suggest Eddie would follow his father into forensic work, too. As for her unborn child, saying she was having a girl was a fifty-fifty guess...

Then Elena studied the cards a final time.

“The girl...” she added, “Not the unborn child, the older girl...watch her! I see danger for her, and this is not far into the future, she is reckless... you must tell her mother to keep an eye on her.”

Rose nodded, even though she doubted in Elena's ability to genuinely see the future, that last remark had made her think. Lilly was definitely one to keep an eye on, especially after what she had done to Ivan when they first met...

 

They had stayed for tea, as Gertrude and Elena spoke in their own language and Rose sat there saying nothing. An hour went by. Then after Gertrude bought the dress in the window, they said goodbye and left the store. Gertrude told Rose she was sure Elena was right about the baby being a girl, then she checked her watch and when Rose asked why, she dismissed the question, saying she wanted to go shopping.

A short while later they were on the second floor of the largest shopping mall in Gotham, in a department store, and Rose was buying new perfume. While she was doing this, Gertrude had stepped away and made a phone call. As Rose turned back to her, she saw a worried look on her face.

“But all is well?” she asked, then she paused to listen, “That is very good news... but we shall be home soon, Ed. Tell him Mother is on the way back.”

As the call ended, she turned around, saw Rose was beside her and a shade of guilt came to her eyes.

“What's going on?” Rose demanded.

“Nothing, I was just calling home. We should leave now, Rose. It is a long walk back to the car.”

Rose said nothing as they left the mall, then made their way back through the busy streets. They reached the car, Rose got in and Gertrude joined her, then there was instant tension in the air as the car door closed.

“Gertrude, is something going on?” Rose demanded.

“No!” she insisted, “Oswald said his leg was aching, he was tired so I said we would come home. He is not unwell, I just worry too much. But you would know how that feels, Rose – we mothers never stop our worry, do we?”

She smiled. Rose felt her suspicions melting away.

“I know what you mean,” she replied, then she started the car and they headed for home.

 

When they got back, Rose parked the car outside the house. Gertrude was out first, hurrying off and not bothering to wait for her. Rose got out of the car and crossed the driveway, catching up with her as they reached the front door.

“What's wrong?” she asked. Now she got the feeling something was up, and maybe, she was the last to know...

_No, they wouldn't keep secrets from her, not after all these years... or would they?_

Now she was starting to worry. She worried even more as Gertrude turned her head and met her gaze and she saw a look in her eyes somewhere between deception and guilt.

“Oswald did not want you to worry,” she confessed, “You are pregnant, Rose. And you almost lost your mind when he was in pain recently. We had to think of you and the baby.”

The door was opened by Ed. Rose went in first, glaring at him angrily.

“What's wrong with my husband? Why was I the last to know?”

As she spoke angrily to Ed, Gertrude hurried past her and headed for the stairs.

“Nothing is wrong with Oswald,” Ed said to her as he closed the door, “Please calm down, Rose – Ivy found a way to develop the formula and Oswald wanted to try it. It was just a few injections into the affected joints, but it was very painful and it's going to hurt for a few days. He didn't want you to see him go through the treatment in case you had another flashback. There was also the baby to consider.”

As anger reflected in her eyes he could almost feel her rage rising as she glared at him.

“You kept this from me? Ivy hid it, too?”

“No,” he said quickly, “Not me or Ivy... I didn't even know about it until this morning when he told me. He was worried about you, he was thinking of the baby.”

“So my own husband kept this from me? He's trying an experimental substance that could cost him his leg and he told me _nothing_?”

“He told his mother first and then he decided how he wanted to do this. It was up to him.”

“ _I'm his wife!”_

Ed took in a sharp breath as her anger began to stress him out.

“Rose, please don't shout. Oswald went through a lot of pain this morning. He's still suffering now. He has to have complete rest if this is to stand any chance of success. I had to hold him down for those injections, he was screaming! It wasn't easy to see him go through that. He's been through hell. Please don't yell at me, or him!”

“I need to see him,” she said sharply, “Get out of my way, Ed!”

She blinked away tears of anger as she headed for the stairs. At that moment she felt as if she was right back where she started before their marriage:

Oswald and his secrets, again she was being pushed out, she was the last to know because he only trusted his mother, who always knew everything first - and that was _never_ going to change...

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 

“ _My poor son!”_ Gertrude said, and her voice was full of concern, _“You have suffered so much. Let me take care of you.”_

As Rose heard those words as she approached the open doorway to the bedroom, she was fuming. Thoughts ran through her mind of being pushed out again, and of how she was the last to know everything, because he and his mother kept their secrets. She wanted to yell at her husband. Then she went into the room and saw him, and all her anger faded away.

Oswald was on his side, with the sheets up to his shoulders and he was pale and shaking. His mother was leaning over him, she swept his damp hair from his eyes and spoke softly to him again, then looked up and saw her standing there in the doorway.

“My son is in a lot of pain,” she said, still looking at her with an expression that warned her not to start a quarrel at this moment, “His leg is very painful. But if this works, he will be able to walk so much better.”

“And I wish you'd told me,” Rose replied, then she joined his mother at her husband's bedside.

Oswald looked up at Rose. He gently gripped her hand as she felt him tremble. He looked like he had been poisoned, clearly whatever Ivy had found to mix with the formula had been volatile. She didn't dare to think about the risk of this experiment going wrong – clearly, there was risk, because he looked terrible and that hardly gave her faith in what Ivy considered to be the answer...

“I didn't want you to worry, I was thinking of you and the baby,” Oswald told her. There was a look in his eyes that begged forgiveness and at that moment, she had no anger left, only fear for what that stuff Ivy had given him might do if it failed.

“How dangerous is this formula?” she asked.

Oswald paused for thought. For a moment he looked exhausted and his eyes began to close, then he focused on her and drew in a slow breath and gave his reply.

“It won't kill me. But if it doesn't repair the wear and tear to the joints, I might lose my lower leg. But walking was getting harder... I was running out of choices.”

“I just wish you'd been honest with me,” Rose replied, then she leaned closer and kissed his cheek as their eyes met.

“I'm doing this for you and the kids,” he whispered.

“I know that. But I could have been here for you.”

“It was fine, Rose. I was not alone - Ed was here.”

Oswald looked worn out by the pain that refused to shift. Rose decided the best she could do for him was give him what he wanted - she would try not to appear too worried about him, even though the sight of him like this was breaking her heart.

“Try and get some rest, the kids are home soon. I'll make sure no one disturbs you.”

Oswald managed a weak smile.

“Thank you, Rose.”

“I shall stay with him for a while,” Gertrude added, “And thank you for understanding why you were not told before. We thought it would be for the best.”

Rose looked back at her husband, who was clearly still in pain.

“It's okay,” she promised, “I understand.”

Then as Gertrude spoke comforting words to Oswald, Rose left the room and blinked away tears. Of course he had planned this with his mother – he would always be closer to her than anyone else. She would always play a big part in his decisions, and that would  _never_ change... 

By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, her anger was gone completely, replaced by worry for her husband as she wondered if he had just made a bad decision. Of course he had been desperate to fix the worsening pain, but Ivy had already said she had problems putting the formula together. If this went wrong, she wasn't sure how he would cope if he lost his damaged leg. But Ivy wasn't to blame, neither was Ed and even Gertrude had no say in this; Oswald had made his choice and then laid out his instructions. Rose knew for sure that she forgave him for not telling her, so to quarrel with anyone else over it seemed pointless now. 

Then she looked at the clock and realised she had little time before the kids came home. Ivy and Ed would be leaving soon, when they came back, Ozzie and Ivan would have to be told, and she knew she would have to make sure she explained in a way that didn't seem scary – saying Daddy had some treatment for his leg and needed to rest seemed to cover everything, but she didn't want the kids to see him in that much pain. She felt sure if Ozzie came home from school and cried because his father was in agony, she would be having words with Oswald about making this decision without consulting her. She would wait until he was recovered, but she would still have words with him...

 

Once Ivy had taken Lilly and Eddie home, she had asked them to sit at the table, because she wanted to explain something. As she had started to tell them that Oswald needed a lot of rest because she had given him something to help his bad leg, she saw instant concern on Lilly's face.

“Is my Dad sick again?” she asked.

“No, he's just in a lot of pain. But this is nothing like you remember from when you were little, this isn't nearly as serious. It just means he has to rest for a while.”

“Is Uncle Oswald going to be okay?” Eddie asked her.

“Yes,” Ivy said honestly to her son, “He's going to be fine. He's trying to make his leg better, it might not work but even if it doesn't, he's still going to be around. Nothing bad will happen to him.”

“Okay,” Eddie said, then he smiled and reached for his glass of milk.

Ivy felt relieved as she saw how easily her five year old accepted these facts. It wouldn't be so easy with Lilly... she knew she was glaring at her before she looked across the table, she could feel her icy gaze. Just then, Ed came in and his son jumped down from his seat and ran over to greet him.

“Daddy's here!” he said excitedly.

“Let's go and watch some TV,” Ed said to him, giving a quick glance to Ivy, “Mommy needs to speak to your _difficult_ sister.”

“Okay,” Eddie said again, and he followed his father out of the room.

Lilly was still glaring at her.

“I demand to see my father!” she said as her eyes narrowed.

Ivy's gaze hardened.

“He's resting. He's in pain but he's not sick, he's not dying, he's going to be okay. He's just got to put up with a few days of discomfort and then we will know if the treatment worked – or not. He needs peace and quiet. Ozzy and Ivan can't see him either, not while he's resting.”

“What exactly did you give him, Mom?” Lilly demanded, “Is it safe?”

“It's untested but it won't kill him, I promise. It will hopefully repair some of the wear and tear to his damaged leg. He had to do it because he wouldn't have been able to walk with the cane for much longer unless we tried something. I'm very hopeful it will work.”

“I want to see my father,” she said again, “And I'll see him with or without your permission. I _want_ my Daddy!”

Ivy looked at her for a moment, then she voiced her thoughts aloud.

“You look just like Oswald when you lose your temper.”

“Good!” Lilly replied, still glaring at her.

Ivy gave a sigh.

“I can't promise, but maybe later on tonight... I'll call the house and ask Rose how he's doing. If he's comfortable and feels well enough, you can see him. If he needs more sleep, you'll have to wait a couple of days. I don't know how tired he will be. That's the best I can do, Lilly.”

Finally her daughter's expression changed and her anger melted away.

“Thanks Mom,” she said, then she indicated to her phone, “I think you should call Rose now, because I'd like to see Daddy as soon as possible.”

“You have homework to do,” Ivy reminded her.

Lilly sat back comfortably in her seat, looking at her mother.

“I can't possibly concentrate when I'm worried about my father. Let me sit with him and I'll get all my homework done, do we have a deal?”

Suddenly Ivy couldn't be annoyed with her any more. In that moment, she had looked just like Oswald, sitting at the head of the table having a meeting with the gang leaders and making negotiations. She smiled fondly as she picked up her phone to call Rose.

“Okay Lilly, I'll send Rose a text message and ask her. What we do next depends on what she says. Is that a suitable deal?”

“It's a way forward,” Lilly agreed, and Ivy wanted to hug her, but instead she messaged Rose, and hoped the news would be good.

 

When Ivy had sent her the message, Rose had replied asking why she was sending a text instead of calling, and Ivy had simply asked, _Do you hate me for doing this to him behind your back?_

Rose had replied, _No, it was Oswald's idea. I could never hate him, so I'm not upset. I just want him to be out of pain. Lilly can come over. I think seeing her might do him good. He's feeling sore and sorry for himself._

Ivy's response had been brief: _Sounds like he's getting better already. I'll send Lilly over right now._

Ten minutes after Ivy had messaged Rose, Lilly was on her way from the house, taking the path that led to her father's home on the other side of the estate.

Lilly tapped on the kitchen door with her closed parasol but got no reply, so tried the door, found it open and went inside. Dinner was cooking and it smelled good. She saw no sign of her Grandma, so left the kitchen, went down the hallway and just as the reached the stairs her Uncle Ed was heading down, so she waited for him to join her.

“How is my Dad?” she asked.

“He's tired and he's been in a lot of pain,” Ed replied, “But it should wear off soon. And I think seeing you will be just what he needs! You and your father have such a close bond, Lilly. You're so like him.”

Lilly smiled.

“I remember when I was very young, my first memory of my Dad was when my Mom took him home and he was ice cold. She wouldn't let me see him for days, but when I finally did, he looked just the pictures she had showed me. I gave him a big hug and kept him company and each day, he got stronger. That's my first memory of my Dad – he's stronger than he looks.”

Ed glanced up the stairs and then lowered his voice.

“Ozzie is younger than you so he's worrying a bit too much. He was crying, I had to talk to him about it. He's with Ivan now, so be quiet when you go past his room. You're the only one allowed to see him right now.”

“I know how to cheer my Daddy up!” she said brightly, and then she went quietly up the stairs.

 

Oswald was resting but now sitting up in bed, his mother had left the room, Rose had gone back downstairs insisting he had some more sleep, and now he was by himself, as he tried to move his leg and nothing happened, he gave a quiet sob as he wondered if he had been so desperate to fix the problem, maybe he had made it worse. The pain had gone. So had all feeling below his knee. Ivy had said there might be some numbness, but he hadn't asked about the rest, because he wasn't ready for what the answer might be.

Then Lilly came into the room and he turned his face away, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. Lilly thought he was strong and brave, she didn't need to see him crying...

“Hi Dad,” she said, and sat on the edge of the bed.

As he looked at her he blinked, hoping his eyes didn't look too red.

“I didn't know you were coming over.”

She smiled.

“Surprise!”

“I have a surprise for you,” Oswald told her, and as he thought of the subject that instantly brightened his mood, he smiled back at her.

“Your Auntie Rose is having another baby!”

“Awesome!” she said as her ice blue gaze sparkled, “Is this baby my brother or sister or is it Uncle Ed's?”

Her question confused him.

“The baby is mine. Why do you ask?”

She shrugged.

“I just thought because you had me with Mom, then Ed had Eddie with Mom, and you had Ozzie with Auntie Rose, maybe it was Ed's turn to have a baby with her now?”

Oswald laughed.

“Oh no, it doesn't work like that!”

“But I thought you took turn to make the babies!”

“No, we don't,” Oswald told her as amusement danced in his eyes, “No my dear, this child will be your sibling!”

Then her gaze shifted down the covers as she noticed that beneath them, her father's bad leg was completely still as he had shifted up against his pillows.

“How is your leg?” she asked.

He paused. Lilly wasn't like the other kids. He didn't doubt little Ozzie would get tearful over his dad being in pain, and Ivan was too polite to break house rules and dare to disturb him. Eddie was far too young to understand, too. But Lilly was different. She wasn't upset, she wasn't scared to walk in here knowing she might see him in pain.

“Your Mother gave me three injections into the affected joints. It was agony. I nearly threw up. It hurt a lot but now I can't feel anything. I can't move it, either. But I can handle this. Us Kapelputs are strong, we are used to pain. I spent many years of my life living with pain. It's nothing to worry about.”

He managed a smile and as she smiled too, he suddenly felt more confident. Maybe it would improve, maybe not. But his daughter still admired his courage.

“I have plans for you, when you're older,” he added, “I think you can handle something more challenging than the oil company. I still have some other business links and they are the kind that can't be resolved with a board room meeting if there was a crisis. When you're older, you're going to have a _very_ special job.”

Her eyes lit up.

“Is this job connected with your exciting past?”

He thought back to the dark days and his life of crime and all he had been through.

“If you think of it as exciting, yes. But I shall say no more about it until you are older.”

“I'm looking forward to it already!” Lilly said, then she climbed off the bed, “I'm going to get some paper and pencils and come back and draw some pictures for you,” she said, “It made you better when I was little.”

Oswald smiled as his heart warmed with love and he recalled eight years ago when Lilly had been almost four and had met him for the first time, while he was recovering from the treatment that had saved his life.

“I think that's an excellent idea,” he told her, “Yes, you did help me to get better. Maybe it will work again!”

“I hope so!” Lilly replied, then she left the room.

Oswald tried and failed to move his leg again, but now he didn't feel like weeping. Lilly's presence was making such a difference to him, and she also reminded him of all the reasons why he had to stay strong.

 

Rose:

_Two weeks passed by. Oswald made a fast recovery. On the third day, his leg was aching but he could move it again. The kids were good about keeping the noise down, remembering he had to rest. Lilly visited every day and seeing her made such a difference to Oswald. By the time he was back on his feet, the pain in his leg was almost reduced to the level it had been before – but Ivy's attempt to fix the worn joints was not completely successful. He still leaned on the cane and some days his limp was painful, other days it wasn't too pronounced. He was more or less back to where he was before. But at least he didn't have to worry about it now._

_He went back to work three days a week overseeing the running of the oil business and everything was going well. When Gertrude wasn't fussing over me and talking about the new baby, she was spending time with Ivan, who she loved as her own grandson._

_As for me, my husband and Ed, the three of us had never been closer. We were all looking forward to the day when the new baby arrived. And I had a chat with Ivy, deciding it was time to meet my husband at work and give him our little surprise. He certainly deserved it after all he had been through._

_But while the money was coming in and life seemed good and all about having fun, we were about to get a terrible shock. Oswald had often said how cruel life could be, but none of us expected disaster to strike, and when it did, it happened out of the blue..._

 

As the elevator climbed, Rose and Ivy exchanged a glance as Rose smiled and Ivy giggled. Rose was wearing a short, tight fitting dress – her pregnancy didn't yet show noticeably, so she could still fit into a sexy black dress. Ivy was wearing a long, flowing coat and it was tightly buttoned. Underneath it she wore nothing but almost transparent red lingerie. Both women were in high heeled shoes and they didn't say a word all the way up to the top floor as they both looked at each other with amusement in their eyes. _Oswald was in for a big surprise, he would never forget this..._

The elevator stopped at the top floor and they got out, then went up to the doorway that led to the office of his secretary. Rose looked in, told her that they had family matters to discuss, and her husband was not to be disturbed. Then she and Ivy went on to the main office, entered the room without knocking and closed the door behind them.

The room was vast and decorated in shades of grey marble, but from the other end of the room, light fell in from the wide windows that overlooked a view of the city far below. Oswald was at his desk and he looked away from a computer screen as surprise registered on his face.

“What are you both doing here?”

Ivy locked the door then she and Rose walked over to him.

“We thought we would come to see you today and give you a surprise,” Rose said, and she tossed her long hair off her shoulder and smiled seductively, _“By the way, I have no underwear on.”_

“And I'm not wearing anything under this coat,” Ivy added, unbuttoning her coat and then letting it fall to the floor.

Oswald's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, then a look of instant excitement came to his face.

“ _Oh, wow!”_

His hands flew to his jacket and he took it off, then he unbuttoned his waist coat and loosened his tie and grabbed his cane and got up sharply.

“I'm looking forward to this!”

Rose looked down at the carpeted area near his desk and giggled.

“This might not be a good spot,” she said.

Ivy glanced over to the polished floor near the window.

“Over there will do,” she replied, and then she and Rose went over to the polished floor. Oswald was beside them in a split second, moving faster with that cane than he had for a long while.

“What's next, girls?” he asked excitedly, looking from Rose to Ivy.

The two women exchanged a glance. They had talked about this beforehand, they knew what would happen next. They stood either side of him and each put a hand on his shoulder.

“We love you and you're safe with us,” Rose reminded him.

“No matter what happens next,” Ivy whispered in his ear.

Then both women leaned in, giving him a fond kiss.

“Now get on the floor,” Rose said as they gently applied pressure to his shoulders.

“Careful, we don't want you to hurt your leg,” Ivy added.

With their help, he carefully knelt on the floor, then paused to adjust his damaged leg. As he looked up at them he was breaking into a light sweat and his breathing was getting heavier.

“What are you going to do to me?” he whispered.

Rose felt a bolt of excitement shoot through her body as she looked down at him, seeing him at her feet, yet so aroused by her power over him. Oswald looked from Rose to Ivy, and then Rose spoke first.

“Don't get too excited, umbrella boy!”

“I wouldn't get excited about this,” Ivy added, kicking his cane from his reach with a swipe of her shoe. Then she picked it up and carefully placed the tip under his chin, forcing him to raise his head and look up.

“If you get turned on, we will punish you!” she warned, “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Ivy...” he whispered, feeling powerless yet helplessly turned on at the same time as memories of being dominated by Fish flooded back to him.

Ivy drew the cane away from him and paused to run her hand over the lingerie that barely covered her flesh.

“ _You want some of this...”_

Rose stepped closer and raised her skirt, he caught his breath and she wanted to drop to her knees and kiss him, but that wasn't part of the game.

“You can't have me,” she teased.

“I think he's enjoying this,” Ivy added as he glared down at Oswald, “Behave yourself, umbrella boy! If I think you're enjoying this, I'll beat you with your own cane. I might even bust your _other_ leg!”

He gave a gasp, then his hand briefly slid over the fabric of his clothing as he longed to touch his erection, but he drew his hand away again.

“I think he's turned on,” Rose added, “Are you excited, little Penguin?”

She slid her hand to the back of his head as her fingers clutched at his hair and she drew his head back, forcing him to look up at her, “Look at you on your knees and helpless... and what a view from this window... the whole of the city can see how pathetic you are!”

“ _Have mercy..._ ” he whispered.

“There's no mercy for you,” Ivy said sharply, “You can stay there on the floor where you belong!”

“You're nothing!” Rose added sharply.

The two women were standing over him, glaring down as he looked up, and he was helplessly aroused.

“I guess I deserve to be punished...” he said in a shaky voice.

“We _will_ punish you,” Ivy promised, “I'll break every bone in your body! _Now beg for your life!_ ”

Oswald fell forward, kissing Ivy's shoe, then as Rose shifted her foot closer, he kissed her shoe too, over and over.

“Forgive me,” he said, “I worship you!”

Then Rose and Ivy exchanged a glance: _Yes, their work was done. He was heavily turned on..._

As they stepped back, Rose took the lead.

“ _Look at me!”_ she demanded.

Oswald raised his head and met her gaze.

“I think he's turned on,” Ivy said accusingly, “I'll _definitely_ be busting his other leg for that!”

“I think you should relieve all that tension of yours,”Rose said coldly, “Do it now, Oswald! Do it on the floor in front of the window where the whole of Gotham can see you!”

He didn't need to be told twice as he grabbed at his clothing, freeing his erection impatiently.

“Worthless little umbrella boy!” Ivy scolded.

Rose got her phone out and leaned over him, as he breathlessly stroked his hardness, she placed her hand under his chin, forcing him to look into the camera.

“We're sharing this with Ed,” she told him, “He wants to see the best part...”

Those words tipped him over the edge. As his climax exploded, Rose took a picture of his face as he closed his eyes and gave a sharp gasp. He went weak as the pleasure faded out and Rose knelt behind him, giving him a hug.

“Did that blow your mind?” she asked.

He was still breathing hard.

“It took me back to when I worked for Fish! Oh, that was intense!”

Ivy leaned down, wiping the floor with a tissue.

“Thank goodness we didn't do it on the carpet!” she said, and started to giggle.

Rose helped him up,he tidied his clothing and then Ivy handed his cane back. He was still shaky so Rose kept an arm around him to steady him as he went back to his desk, then he sat down and laughed.

“I can't believe you both did that to me! Thank you, it was most enjoyable!”

Rose paused to send the picture to Ed, then she deleted her copy in case the kids got hold of her phone later, and then she put it away in her purse. Ivy had picked up her coat and was closing the buttons up all the way.

“We said we'd get you!” she told him with a crafty smile.

“And you did!” Oswald exclaimed.

Rose gave him a lingering kiss, then a tight hug before she stepped back.

“We should leave you to get on with your day now, I'll see you when you get home.”

As they went to the door and Ivy unlocked it, Oswald's phone rang. He answered it with a smile on his face.

“Yes Ed, I did survive!” he said, and then he laughed.

Rose glanced back at him, they exchanged a look of deepest love, then she followed Ivy out and Rose closed the door behind them.

“It looks like someone enjoyed himself today!” said Ed, “Now you've got me all turned on... your fault, Oswald. It's my turn to tell you what a naughty little Penguin you are!” then he gave a sigh, “Guess what I'm doing right now...”

“I can tell by the way you're catching your breath,” Oswald replied seductively, “Keep going, I'll tell you all about it...”

“Yes please,” Ed said breathlessly, “Tell me _all_ the details, Oz...”

As he took charge and described how the two women had dominated him, he felt turned on all over again as Ed got excited on the other end of the line. Hearing him reach his peak was a huge rush and he instantly wished the working day was over, because all he wanted to do now was go home and wrap his arms around him.

As he ended the call, he checked his watch and gave a sigh; it was several hours until he could leave. On a day like this, he just wanted to stay home and enjoy Ed's closeness. The thought occurred to him that he was lucky, despite all the bad stuff that had happened in his life, he really was fortunate to have so much love around him.

Then he turned around to face the window feeling a flicker of alarm as he wondered if the whole of Gotham really _had_ watched him on his knees... but from where he had knelt on the floor, no one would have spotted him, not even from the tall building closest to this one... He leaned back against the comfortable leather chair and smiled. It had certainly been a day he would never forget...

 

Several hours later, as the skies rolled over dark with storm clouds, the fun of the morning was put far from her mind as Ivy looked to the darkening skies and then opened up the front door as the kids were heading off down the path.

“I want you to come back if it starts to rain!” she called out, and they stopped, looking back: Ozzie had turned around and nodded in agreement, Lilly was beneath the shade of her parasol, which was held by Ivan, and on hearing her words, Lilly had rolled her eyes.

“It's only rain,” she called back, “The barn is dry!”

Just then Ivy felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked down to see Eddie standing there looking up at her.

“Can I go with them, Mommy?” he asked.

“Not today,” Ivy replied, “Daddy will stop by to see you soon.”

“But I want to play in the barn!” he protested.

“No!” Ivy told him firmly, “There's a storm that might be coming our way. If it rains a lot the ground will be very muddy and you might slip.”

Eddie gave a sigh and snatched his glass of milk from the table and walked off in the direction of the front room.

Just then Ivy got the oddest feeling; later she would look back and realise it was her intuition as a mother, warning her that something was amiss. As she went to the window and looked out at the stormy skies, she thought of Lilly's torch, the one she had given her for the barn, and she opened the window and called her name, but the kids were turning the corner and didn't hear her.

“Are the batteries okay in that torch?” she said aloud, then she remembered Lilly had used it the day before and said nothing about needing to replace them, but that odd feeing was still nagging at her. She went to the kitchen cupboard, opened it up and checked inside: _Yes, the box of candles were still there, and the matches were on top. Good girl, Lilly. Candles and matches don't belong in a barn..._

Ivy wondered why the hell she was worrying so much, then she took a deep breath and shook her head, wishing she could push aside worries that made no sense. Then the door opened and Ed walked in with a big smile on his face.

“I heard all about today!” he said, “Oswald loved it!”

And she recalled the events of that morning and laughed, and her seemingly irrational concerns for Lilly and the barn were forgotten.

 

By now, the kids had reached the barn. As Lilly and Ozzie went inside, Ivan tried to go in too, but he set one foot in the door and Lilly glared at him, then stepped outside and pointed to the sign she had stuck on the door that said _No Parasol Boy Allowed_.

“But it might rain!” he protested.

“We have a deal!” she told him firmly, then she went back inside and closed the door.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Ozzie gave a shiver.

“It's not very warm today. If it rains I should go straight home. I think you should too, your Mommy said so -”

“I said I want to play out!” she replied sharply, then she walked over to the old wooden ladder that went up to the hay loft and shone her torch to the roof.

“I want to go up there!”

Met with no reply, she turned her head and looked at Ozzie, who shook his head.

“Daddy told me the ladder might break. I promised him I would not go climbing to the top, ever.”

Lilly gave a sigh.

“I'm not scared to do it!”

Then her torch flickered and the light began to fade.

“If it goes out I'm going home!” Ozzie said, sounding uneasy, “It's spooky in here in the dark!”

“Fear not, I am prepared, little brother!” she said, and reached behind a hay bale and drew out candles and a box of matches.

“But Auntie Ivy said no matches in the barn!”

Lilly was already setting up candles, pushing them into the dirt floor.

“And my Mom won't know, will she?” Lilly said as she struck a match and lit the candles, then she shook the match and the flame vanished and she tossed it away, “Unless _someone_ snitches again,” she added as her eyes narrowed and she glared hard at him.

“I won't do that,”Ozzie promised.

Lilly stood at the bottom of the ladder and looked up the climb to the hay loft.

“You can stay here if you want to,” she said, “But I'm going up, I'm not afraid!”

“Good luck...” Ozzie muttered as he stood back and watched, but Lilly didn't hear him, she was already halfway up the ladder.

The discarded match was still glowing red. Its heat caught on the hay where it had fallen, slowly igniting into a smoulder. Ozzie's gaze was still fixed on the ladder. Lilly gave a cry of alarm as a wooden rung snapped as she grabbed at it, then she reached for the next, climbing over the missing rung and reaching the top.

“ _I did it!”_ she yelled in triumph.

Then she walked across the upper floor, carefully taking her foot off a rotten board that groaned and made a cracking sound, then she looked down from the hayloft.

“Ozzie?”

He was gone. She ran to the upper window, opened it and looked out. He was outside the barn, talking to Ivan.

“Get back in here!”

The boys looked up.

“It's starting to rain,” Ivan called up to her, “I'm going to start walking back, slowly. And Ozzie needs to go home too. I'll give you both ten minutes to follow me or I will have to tell on you. I'm the oldest, you know the rules.”

Anger flickered in Lilly's eyes.

“That is _not_ part of our deal.”

“I promised I'd behave!” Ivan replied, “And your Mom will worry if you're not back, there's a storm on the way!”

“Fine!” Lilly fumed, sounding irate, “I'll come down when I'm ready!”

Then, to her annoyance, both boys began to walk away. She stood there in the hayloft watching as they walked down the path, further into the distance. The skies were still stormy and grey, and light rain was starting to fall. But she was aware of a growing glow that was rising about the barn, and for a moment, she thought it was the light from the candles - until she coughed.

Lilly turned away from the window and her eyes grew wide with alarm as she saw flames. They were everywhere, the hay bales were on fire, the ladder was starting to burn, the wall was burning and the smoke was rising thick and dark as the flames began to spread to the closed wooden doors.

“ _HELP ME!”_ she screamed out the window.

The smoke was stinging at her eyes. She caught sight of the boys turning back, then they stared, then Ivan said something to Ozzie, who bolted off down the path.

Lilly coughed again and staggered back from the window, straight on to the rotten boards and they snapped, sending her plunging down to the ground below with a scream that ended as she hit the floor, landing hard and knocked out cold as around her, the walls of the barn began to burn harder and the heat blew out a window.

Outside, Ivan yelled her name then kicked at the barn door. The heat rushed out along with tendrils of flame and he backed off, coughed and then looked through the haze of heat and flame and smoke:

_She was on the floor, in the middle of the barn. The flames were rising. He had to get her out..._

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 

 _It was a moment that would stay with Ivy forever._ One minute she had been sitting in her front room with Ed and their son, then Ozzie came rushing in pale and breathless and scared.

“ _The barn is on fire!”_ he said tearfully, _“Lilly's in the barn!”_

“ _What?”_ Ivy said in horror, then she dashed to the window and looked out.

“Look at the smoke, Mommy!” said Eddie as he pointed skyward.

Ed took his phone from his pocket and turned to Ivy.

“You stay here with Eddie, I'm going over there, I'll call for help on the way!”

“What can I do?” asked Ozzie.

“Go home and tell your parents what's happened. By the way, where's Ivan?”

“ _He went back to save Ivy!”_

“Go home!” Ed urged him, then he dashed out of the door, calling the emergency services as he ran towards the place where smoke was rising high into the sky.

“Mommy?” said Eddie, as for a moment, Ivy stood there frozen with fear as she looked to the fire in the distance.

“ _No, no no... not my baby!”_ she suddenly gasped, then she turned back to her son with fear reflecting in her eyes.

“Stay here!” she told him firmly, “Do _not_ leave this house, I have to go and fetch Lilly! Do not go out of that door, do you understand?”

Eddie nodded.

“Good boy!” she said, then she ran to the front door, went out and closed it heavily behind her.

As the smoke continued to rise, Eddie stood alone in the house, watching from the window.

 

Ivy ran along the path, her heart racing, her breath in short bursts as she raced towards the barn. All she saw was smoke and raging flames as she reached the end of the path, Ed had just arrived and he was looking in horror towards the open barn doors where inside, the walls were on fire.

“ _LILLY!”_ Ivy screamed.

Ed glanced back.

“I'm going in,” was all he said, but then something happened and it felt like a miracle:  
Ivan staggered out of the barn, he was marked with soot and coughing and carrying Lilly in his arms. He got clear of the barn and fell to his knees, as Ed helped him, they laid Lilly on the ground. There was a crash as the barn roof caved in and the fire continued to burn.

“Help is on the way,” Ed said, and he placed a hand on Ivan's shoulder, “Well done, you got her out!”

Then as he turned back towards Lilly, Ivy was beside her. She fell to her knees looking in shock at her daughter, who was motionless. She wasn't burned - but she wasn't moving, either. Her right leg was shattered, the ankle was crushed and twisted.

“ _Lilly!”_ Ivy said tearfully as she leaned over her, _“Lilly, wake up!”_

“Don't move her!” Ed warned, but Ivy wasn't listening as she raised her up and cradled her in her arms and sobbed, pressing her face against hair that carried the smell of the smoke.

“I need to feel for a pulse!” Ed told her, “She might need CPR!”

Ivy gave a cry of anguish and carried on holding her tight as she wept, sobbing as she held her motionless child.

“ _No, no, not my Lilly,”_ she sobbed, _“My little baby Penguin... I love you so much, my special baby, my Pengie's baby... I live for you, don't leave Mommy!”_

Ed reached in carefully as Ivy rocked her daughter, and as he felt her pulse at her throat he breathed a relieved sigh.

“Ivy, she's alive!”

As the words registered, Ivy held her tighter and sobbed harder, then Lilly suddenly gasped a lungful of air and coughed. Now Ed took over, releasing her from Ivy's grasp and laying her down on the ground as she coughed again. She opened her eyes and looked up at her mother and pain registered on her face as she gave a weak cry.

“It's okay,” Ivy said tearfully, “I'm here for you, Lilly...”

In the distance, sirens could be heard.

“ _Lilly?”_

As she heard Oswald's voice, Ivy looked up sharply.

“ _Our baby...”_ she sobbed, as Oswald hurried over to her leaning on his cane. He fell to his knees beside Lilly, not caring about the pain to his knee as he dropped his cane and swept soot from his daughter's face.

“Lilly?” he said anxiously.

She looked up at him, then coughed and gave another sob.

“ _It really hurts, Daddy...”_ she wailed.

He saw her shattered leg and looked back into her eyes.

“Lilly, what happened?”

She drew in a breath and coughed again.

“ _I don't know... I had candles... there was fire... I fell through the floor!”_

Then pain took over and she gave another weak sob.

Sirens were louder and flashing lights were growing closer.

“It's okay, Lilly,” Oswald said as he took hold of her hand, “Help is here now.”

Then Ed got up from the ground and had to say her name twice before Ivy heard him.

As she looked at him, his gaze was filled with concern.

“Where's Eddie?”

“At the house.”

“ _On his own?”_

“Yes, on his own...” she turned back to her daughter, taking hold of her other hand as she tearfully spoke again.

“ _I thought I was losing her,”_ she said to Oswald, _“Our baby Penguin... I thought she was gone!”_

“She's going to live,” Oswald said firmly, “This could have been much worse!”

As Rose and Gertrude arrived on the scene just as the ambulance and the fire trucks arrived, Gertrude looked in horror at the sight of the barn, now reduced to a pile of burning timber.

“Lilly?” Rose said in alarm, and Oswald looked up from his daughter's side.

“She's alive, she'll be okay,” he assured her, then as the ambulance pulled up, he grabbed his cane and got up and placed a hand on Ivy's shoulder, as she saw help had finally arrived, she got up too and stood beside him as the medics tended to Lilly.

“I'll go home and check on our son,” Ed told Ivy, but she didn't even turn her head as Oswald put his arm around her and they stood together watching over Lilly as her injuries were assessed.

“Ivy...” Ed said again, “Ivy, I said, I'll go home and check on our son?”

She turned her head.

“Whatever,” was all she said blankly in reply, then she looked back down at Lilly, watching anxiously.

Ed turned and walked away, as he passed Rose and Gertrude, Rose called his name. He briefly turned back.

“Where are you going?” Rose asked.

“Home to Eddie, someone needs to be there for him,” Ed replied angrily, and then he hurried off down the path as he wondered exactly how much Ivy cared for their son. The boy had been left alone, he was five years old...

 

“Eddie?” he called anxiously as he entered the house.

Then Ed felt a flicker of panic: Where the hell was his son?

“ _Eddie?”_ he called again, and then Eddie wandered out from the front room.

“Mommy said wait here, so I did,” he told him as he looked up at his father.

Ed leaned closer and gave his son a big hug.

“You're a good boy,” he said as he blinked back tears.

“Is Lilly okay?” Eddie asked him, “The fire got bigger, I saw it from the window. It was scary.”

“Yes, it was scary,” Ed agreed, “But she's okay. Ivan got her out of the barn. She's broken bones in her leg and she's taken in some smoke, but she's going to be alright.”

“Oh good,” Eddie replied, “Because I love my big sister.”

“We all do,” Ed told him, then Rose and Gertrude came in through the back way and joined them in the hallway. Both women looked pale and shocked.

“Ivy and Oswald went to the hospital with Lilly,” Gertrude said, “You and Rose join them, I shall take Eddie back to the house, I will look after the boys tonight.”

“Is Ivan okay?” Ed asked, “He was coughing when he came out of the barn.”

“The paramedics checked him over, he had some oxygen and he was just fine,” Rose replied, “He's back at the house with Ozzie. We should go, Ed. Lilly's hurt.”

Ed turned back to his son.

“Go with Grandma, I'll see you later.”

Eddie gave him a hug, then he took Gertrude's hand as she led him out of the house.

“Maybe you should stay here, Rose. I'm thinking how stressful this has been, and you're pregnant.”

“I'll be okay!”

Ed shook his head.

“No, the fire was a shock for all of us. Lilly getting hurt is a huge worry. It's bad enough that we have Lilly to worry about – if your pregnancy was affected, I'd blame myself for allowing you to have additional worries. Leave the worry to me, please? Lilly's parents are with her, they don't even need me there – I'm just going to be there for Oswald.”

Rose gave a heavy sigh.

“Okay, I'll stay here.”

“And rest!” he reminded her.

“Yes, I will,” Rose promised, then she gave him a hug and he kissed her cheek.

“I'd better go now,” Ed told her, “As soon as I get there, I'll tell Oswald you're resting, otherwise his next worry will be his unborn child, he's got enough on his mind with Lilly.”

Then they left together, Rose heading back to the house, and Ed taking the path around to the front of the mansion, where his car was parked on the driveway outside. By now the rain was falling heavily and there was a storm overhead. 

As he started the car, Ed was still thinking about all that Ivy had said. He was still wondering exactly how much their son truly meant to her; from the moment she had seen the smoke rising from the barn, it was as if Eddie didn't exist. Her thoughts had been entirely with Lilly, her baby Penguin... As he drove away from the house, he was still turning it over in his mind as he wondered how Ivy would react when he showed up at the hospital. He knew fear and distress could do strange things to a person, but it had been the way Ivy had spoken, as if all that had ever really mattered was her _baby Penguin_ . He had never heard her call Eddie her  _little Riddler..._

 

The rain was running down the window pane like the world outside had turned to liquid. The night sky was lit by flashes, the thunder rolled heavy and as Ivan watched the storm, he looked over to the barn in the distance, now it was a fallen ruin of charred wood. The fire had been out for hours, the crisis was over. He had taken a shower and changed his clothes, but he was sure he could still smell the smoke.

He suddenly realised he had been standing in the dark for too long and turned on the lamp, it lit the room with a reassuring glow. He thought of Lilly and felt tearful. Then the door opened and Rose came in.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Ivan nodded, then he went over to a sofa by the window, sat down and looked to the storm again, catching a streak of lightning that lit the world for a split second as below the raging sky, he caught sight of the destroyed barn again.

“You don't want to look at that,” Rose said, and she closed the heavy drapes, blocking out the sight of the storm and the memories of the fire, then she sat down on the sofa next to Ivan.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” she asked.

Ivan met her gaze, and began to speak quietly.

“Lilly lit candles in the barn. Ozzie told me. But I didn't know at the time, not when we walked away. She had to go up to the hay loft, it was her latest goal, to climb the scary ladder. She wanted us to come back, she wanted Ozzie to go back inside the barn, but he said no. I didn't see the smoke or the flames until I heard her screaming for help. That's when I sent Ozzie back to the house.”

“And you went in that barn even though it was on fire, and you saved Lilly.”

He nodded again, pausing for a moment as the event played over in his mind.

“There was a lot of flames. I kicked the door and all this heat came out, I thought it was going melt my skin. I took a few steps back, took a breath and then I ran in and grabbed her. It was so hot. The smoke was burning my eyes. As I picked her up I thought I might lose sight of the way out, but there was stuff falling down from the roof so I knew we didn't have much time. I saw the way out through the smoke and I ran, that was when the smoke made me cough and by the time I got her out, I had to fall down on my knees because it was hard to breathe. I didn't know if she was still alive. I was worried she might be dead....” he paused, then his voice became tearful, “I know she's crazy and she's annoying and sometimes she's a bit scary, but she's Lilly and -”

“I know,” Rose said kindly, “She's Lilly, and we all love her.”

Ivan nodded, then he gave a quiet sob and Rose hugged him.

“Lilly is having surgery on her leg,” she told him, “She needs to have some pins and plates put inside it so she can walk again. But she's going to survive. She wouldn't be alive now if you hadn't gone into that barn and got her out.”

Ivan wiped his eyes.

“I just did what anyone else would have done.”

Rose looked at him in surprise.

“No, Ivan – not everyone would have gone into a burning building to save someone! Not everyone is as brave as you are. I think Lilly is very lucky to have you as a friend.”

“I'll always be her friend,” he said, “I like her. I'm not sure why, she's _so_ annoying... but I do like her, very much.”

“She needs a friend like you,” Rose told him, “I doubt you can keep her out of trouble, but today you certainly kept her safe. Now get some rest, you need to sleep.”

“Are the boys okay?” he asked.

“Ozzie was very upset but he's gone to bed, at last. Eddie's crashed out on the couch downstairs and his Grandma is with him. Everyone is fine, Ivan. Stop worrying and get some rest.”

“I'll try and sleep,” he replied.

“And I'll let you know how Lilly is doing in the morning,” she replied, “When she's feeling a little better you can go and see her.”

Finally he managed to smile.

“Thanks, I'd like that. Goodnight Rose.”

“Good night Ivan,” she replied, and then she left the room and closed the door.

 

As Ed approached the waiting area, he felt strangely guilty for slowing his pace and pausing to listen around the corner. But he could hear Ivy and Oswald talking, and after his suspicions about Ivy having a favourite child, he felt as if this was Riddler guiding him, being sneaky because perhaps there was no other way to find out the truth. He carefully peered around the corner and then ducked back again. Ivy was sitting down facing Oswald, he had his back to the corridor, they were in deep conversation and as he listened, Ed began to take in all that was said:

“She's always been so special,” Ivy said, “It was like fate, I saved you and fixed your bullet wound, then we made love -”

“And I lasted less than half a minute and it was a disaster,” Oswald said candidly, “Let's not sugar coat this, Ivy. I was probably the worst you'd ever had, at the time I had no experience of sex, no closeness with anyone. I didn't know what I was doing.”

“But we made Lilly that night,” she replied, “That precious little girl who is like you in every way.”

“Except I wouldn't have used candles in a barn or gone up to that rotting hayloft. I always listened to my Mother.”

“You still do,” Ivy said fondly.

There was a pause. Ed stepped closer to the corner, listening harder as she spoke a little more softly.

“When I think back, I remember how we used to quarrel all the time...I didn't appreciate you.”

“And that doesn't matter now.”

“Yes it does! I sometimes think if we'd stayed together, maybe it would just be us and a few more kids... but then I remember you have your life exactly as you want it and you have Rose and Ed and you wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad things worked out the way they did.”

“I often think of us, how we met and what happened all those years ago,” Oswald replied, “Every time I look at Lilly, I know she's meant to be here, I'm so proud of her.”

“When I found out I was pregnant it was the last thing I wanted,” Ivy admitted, “I had no plans to have kids – certainly not a kid by Penguin, back then that name was associated with _so_ much trouble... but your reputation wasn't like the man I came to know as Pengie. Then you told me how your future was uncertain, how you didn't know if you'd get sick, and I wanted to keep that baby, your baby... “ Ivy's voice became tearful as she started to cry, _“When she was born I looked at her and I saw you looking back at me and I'm still thankful I see you in her eyes every single day... my little baby Penguin... I just want her to be okay!”_

“And she will be, hush Ivy, please calm yourself,” Oswald said softly as he pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.

Ivy was still sobbing quietly. Ed felt awkward, stuck behind the corner, unable to step out because this was a bad time. But it was starting to worry him even more that she hadn't mentioned Eddie once...

He looked around the corner again in time to see them stand up as a doctor joined them. He listened, heard that Lilly was out of surgery, the damage to her leg was serious, but she was going to be okay. Then they asked to see her and started following the doctor down the corridor. Ed gave a heavy sigh. He was glad to know Lilly would be okay, but doubts still nagged in his mind as he thought again how she had not once mentioned Eddie.

“ _She doesn't love your son!”_ Riddler said inside his head, _“Because she doesn't love you! Your kid was part of a deal. His kid wasn't made that way. Ivy doesn't care about Eddie!”_

Ed sucked in a sharp breath.

“ _Shut up!”_ he whispered, _“Or I'll up my meds and shut you up myself!”_

Then he walked over to the waiting area and took a seat, waiting for Oswald and Ivy to return as he tried to block out the voice in his head - it always got louder in times of stress and now was a _really_ bad time for it to happen...

 

Forty minutes later, Ivy and Oswald walked back down the corridor, they had spent time with Lilly, who was weak and tired and just wanted to sleep, but now they knew she was going to be okay and that was all that mattered. Neither of them wanted to leave her, but she needed rest. They had promised to come back in the morning, but Lilly had already been asleep by the time they both kissed her goodnight and said goodbye.

As they walked through the waiting area, they saw Ed sitting alone, he wiped his eyes and then he put his glasses back on, turned his head and saw them standing there.

“How's Lilly?” he asked as he stood up.

“She's shattered her leg, it's never going to be the same again, but she's going to live, she's okay, that's all that matters,” Ivy replied, “My little girl is going to survive.”

“It's been a terrible night,” Oswald added, “I don't think I've ever been so worried in my entire life!”

Ed looked at them both, his gaze darkening as anger swirled inside him and he swore he could hear Riddler laughing and telling him to say exactly what he was thinking.

“I guess there was no point in me being here tonight,” he said as tension crept into his voice, “Like you said Ivy, she's your little Penguin, your precious child, the _only_ one that matters!”

Oswald stared at him, then anger shone in his eyes.

“Don't talk to her like that! What's wrong with you?”

“It's okay,” Ivy said, glancing at Oswald, “I can handle this. Ed's under stress, he needs to up his meds, don't you, _Mr Crazy?_ ”

Ed looked shocked as Oswald shot her a look of annoyance.

“Don't talk to Ed like that! Have some respect, he has a personality disorder!”

“Well he's not taking it out on me,” she added, then she stepped closer to Ed as her anger rose.

“Why don't I love Eddie? What's your reason for saying that?”

“You left him at home by himself!” he said accusingly.

“Yes, I did, stupid!” Ivy said angrily, “I had my twelve year old daughter trapped in a burning barn, do you think I'd want my other child – little my five year old son - to be out there near a raging inferno? _Say something!_ ”

“You called her your precious little baby Penguin! You didn't mention Eddie once!”

“Because Eddie is okay, he's not been in a fire, he doesn't have shattered bones!” she blinked away tears as she leaned closer to Ed, “I would have been the same with Lilly if Eddie had been trapped instead of her. All my focus would have been on him. And by the way, if you tell your son to do exactly as you say, he does it! He stayed in the house because I _told_ him to! Lilly would have been straight out the door, that's the difference! I knew I could trust him alone while I went to the barn!”

As he watched them quarrel, Oswald wished this was the old days, and he had his shot gun. A quick blast to the ceiling would have shut them both up...

“Okay,” Ed said, stepping back to put some space between them, “Prove it. Say for example, the barn was on fire and both your kids were in there but you could only save one. _Which one would you save, Ivy?_ ”

“That's enough!” Oswald said sharply, but Ed flashed a manic grin as anger still darkened his eyes. He wasn't quite full blown Riddler mode, but his other personality was definitely woken up, he could see it in his face...

“No, let's do this!” Ed insisted, “I can't wait for your answer Ivy! Which child would you save, remember, you can only choose one!”

Ivy gave a heavy sigh.

“Then I guess I'm _dead_ , because I would go in and try and get them _BOTH_ out! That's my answer!” she leaned in close again, “Get out of my way, I'm going home before I hit you! And by the way, I'm stopping off to pick Eddie up, because I'm not letting him stay with you while you're out of control! He's been through enough, he doesn't need to listen to your crazy talk!”

“He hasn't been through anything!” Ed said angrily.

“Yes, he has!” Ivy exclaimed, “He's seen you clinging to life in ICU after you had a bullet taken out of your head, now he's seen the barn go up in flames and had to wonder if his sister was dead! He's a little kid, he needs to be safe at home and forget the scary stuff and enjoy being a five year old! Get out of my way, moron...”

She pushed past Ed, then glanced back at Oswald.

“Make sure he ups his meds, I can't take his attitude right now,” she told him, then she walked away.

Oswald glared up at Ed as they stood together.

“You didn't have to talk to her like that!”

“Why not?” Ed demanded as his voice trembled with emotion, “She did nothing but talk about Lilly, her precious baby, the one she made with you! What about my son? Ivy loves you. She's your mistress, friend with benefits, your... _whatever_ , and I'm just her friend. She will never have the kind of bond with me that she shares with you! This leads me to conclude that she will always love Lilly more than Eddie.”

“That's not true!” Oswald said sharply, “Of course she was thinking only of Lilly – our daughter could have died today! If it wasn't for Ivan, she wouldn't be alive now!”

Suddenly his confusion stopped sharply and Ed blinked away tears.

“Thanks to Kristen's son! He saved her...”

“Yes he did!”

Ed indicated to the scar on his brow, the faded bullet wound from the shooting.

“That was a lucky bullet! It brought her son to us and he saved Lilly!”

Then as emotion took over, he hugged Oswald tightly.

“I'm sorry I'm such a mess tonight...”

“You'd better up your meds when we get home.”

“I will,” Ed promised, then he let go of him and wiped his eyes.

“We're going home now,” Oswald reminded him, “Don't fall apart again, Ed. This is a really bad time for you to go crazy.”

“I won't,” Ed promised, then they walked out of the building together as Ed mentally told the voice in his head to shut up again. It had been a few years since Riddler had last made his voice so strongly heard, and Ed didn't want to risk him taking over. As soon as he got home, he was upping his meds – he knew he owed an apology to Ivy, too.

The events of the day had almost let his dark side take over, but by the time they were driving home, there was no voice in his head and Ed felt what he considered to be normal again. With that came a sense of victory, but he was still taking his meds when they got home, he was part of a family now and he cherished them as much as he cherished Oswald. Nothing would come between that love, not even the voice in his head...

 

Three days after the fire, Lilly was vastly improved. Her leg would take a while to heal and by a cruel twist of fate, like her father, would always need to walk with the support of a cane. But she had survived and that was all that mattered. She was visited every day, first by her parents, then by her grandmother and Rose, who took the boys with them. Ivan gave her flowers and told her he hoped she would be home soon, and Lilly had smiled and replied, _“Thanks for saving me, Parasol Boy.”_

The next day, Oswald visited her and when she saw he had brought her paper and pencils, she smiled as she rested in her bed. She still looked pale, far paler than usual, but she was starting to brighten up now, and it was a relief to see that as Oswald took a seat next to her bed.

“Thank you!” she said, “I've missed my drawings. It will help me to pass the time. I really want to go home.”

“You must be recovered and out of pain before you come home,” he reminded her, and she gave a sigh, “I really miss home, I want to leave!”

“You will soon,” Oswald promised, “Wait a few more days and you can go as soon as the doctor says you're well enough. Your Mom said you can sleep downstairs when you get home, until you can safely use stairs again. How is your leg today?”

She smiled, but he could tell she was faking it.

“Like you said, Dad, us Kapelputs are strong, we are used to pain.”

Oswald smiled back at her as he hid the ache in his heart on hearing her quote his words.

“Yes, Lilly, we are. That is very true.”

Lilly laid the paper and pencils aside and then paused for thought. What she said next was unexpected.

“I'm sorry about the barn. It was all my fault. But at least I have no one else to blame for my injury.”

“And that's forgotten now,” he promised her, “You've been through a lot, Lilly. We won't talk about the barn again.”

Lilly looked at her father.

“But like I said, my injury was my fault. _Yours was not. Tell me about Fish Mooney._ ”

He stared at his daughter, recalling how he had mentioned the past sometimes in front of her – he had not said much in her presence, but he had said Fish had broken his leg... As their eyes met, her gaze reflected so much of his own soul. She was so like him he knew she could hear it and wouldn't be upset. But the rest? No, she was only twelve, she couldn't hear about the true extent of the stuff Fish had made him do...

“I... I might tell you more when you're older... not much more... it's complicated...” he stammered, feeling awkward and caught off guard by her request.

Lilly was still looking at him intently.

“You looked scared. But you're not scared of anyone?”

Oswald took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts.

“I was very young when I started working for her. It took me a while to work my way up to be her umbrella boy. She was my way into the underworld. But she was very cruel, even before I betrayed her, she was very nasty.”

“What did she do?” Lilly asked.

Oswald looked away.

“At first, she was mean, but she would also be nice to me, like she wanted to date me, so I got used to her being a bully but then she got worse and worse. I thought when the time was right I could destroy her empire and take over. But she found out I betrayed her and she smashed a chair and beat me with it.”

“Did she hurt you before that?” Lilly asked.

Oswald closed his eyes, recalling every beating she had ever given him, then he turned his head and met her gaze.

“Yes, Lilly. She was very powerful and she used to enjoy hurting people, especially those who worked for her. She treated her umbrella boys terribly. I hated her. I wanted to destroy her, but it went wrong because she beat me so badly she smashed my leg to pieces.”

There was a flicker of emotion in her icy gaze, then it was gone as Lilly asked another question:

“If she was here now, what would you to her? She gave you pain that will last for the rest of your life. What punishment would you give her in return?”

He fell silent, pretending to think about it as he recalled throwing her off a rooftop. Then he knew exactly what he would do if she was here now, the blade would be out of his cane and straight across her throat and Fish would be bleeding on the floor...

He blinked.

“I don't know, Lilly,” he replied, “It was so long ago. And I believe she is dead now. There was a big underworld fight and she was apparently killed. I really do think she's dead. No one has ever seen her since.”

Lilly was deep in thought. Something was stirring deep in her mind, as if her true nature had finally started to wake. She thought of the pain in her shattered leg, then the pain her father suffered every day. His pain had been no accident, but she shared it, just as she shared what Grandma called her father's darkness...

“When I run the business you want me to look after, I won't hurt or kill anyone who makes trouble, not unless they deserve it,” she told him, “I'll always think and plan before I do anything to anyone. I'll make sure that if I have to kill someone, or teach a hard lesson, the punishment will fit the crime.”

“I'm hoping it will never come to that. The underworld has been peaceful for several years now. My connections are very discreet these days. And you don't have to think on such things yet!” Oswald reminded her, “You're far too young, Lilly. And say nothing of what I told you about the future!”

“I will think about it, though,” she replied, “Great plans require careful thought.”

As she smiled, he smiled back and his worries faded away. He wasn't sure if he ought to be scared for her, proud of her or both – but Lilly was exactly like him and as she was getting older, she was even going beyond him. She wouldn't let emotion be her weakness in times of trouble – she would be calculating, he could see it in her eyes.

“You will be proud of me when I'm older,” she told him.

“I'm always proud of you, Lilly,” he replied, and then he hugged her and told her she needed to rest, before kissing her cheek and reluctantly telling her he had to leave.

After her father had left, Lilly picked up the note pad and a pencil and started to think. Then, she began to make notes. The notes she made while she recovered from the accident would be the start of many that would fill her next few years; what started out as a few words would one day become intricate plans, diagrams and instructions and detailed notes. She was yet to find inspiration for the path she would one day take, but for now, twelve year old Lilly Kapelput wrote down a few words as she thought of her future role, and then thought back to her pain, the pain of shattered bones that she shared with her father. Then she thought of what she would do to people like Fish Mooney and began to write:

_Power, responsibility, planning, punish enemies and destroy the wicked (but be smart and don't get caught). Don't play with matches or candles ever again. Never upset Mom and Dad. Always clean the crime scene. Always wear nice clothes. Get a nice cane with a big blade. Always get away with it._

Then she paused again, recalling she had once heard her father say that everyone wanted something, and if you could find out what it was, you had an advantage...

“What do _I_ want?” she wondered aloud, then the answer came to her as she realised the spark that would drive her and she wrote down words that would later define her:

_Balance. Fairness. I will be strong. My pain will remind me of this. But those who cross me will fear my wrath. Those who truly deserve it, will know the full force of my vengeance.'_

Then she closed the notepad and settled back and shut her eyes, as a brief smile flickered about her face as she suddenly felt the need for a long sleep. Those words she had noted down felt like the start of a long project – but she knew she had years to build it up, and when she did, she would have plans that would be perfect. She felt that something was yet to fall into place, but in time, she knew it would. Then Lilly slept well, as her shattered bones began to heal.

 

Back at the house, life was slowly returning to normal – at least, it was feeling that way at the Cobblepot mansion. Ozzie had stopped getting upset over Lilly's accident, he had even gone over to Ivy's to watch the remains of the charred wood get cleared away. Ivan missed Lilly tapping on the back door with her parasol, every morning at breakfast he would look to that door, and Gertrude would exchange a look with Rose that conveyed a reference to their conversation one evening when Gertrude had confided an observation : _“I think Ivan is very fond of Lilly. He will be such a fine young man one day! If they stay friends, when they get older, who knows? Perhaps...”_

Over at Ivy's place, her quarrel with Ed had been forgotten with a hug and Ivy insisting that it had been a terrible night for everyone, and she didn't blame him for losing it the way he did. Now he could see life rationally, he knew she loved Eddie as much as Lilly. But Ivy wasn't truly happy, not with her daughter yet to recover well enough to come home. She saw her almost every day, and called her every night. Ivy just wanted her little baby Penguin back home, so life could return to normal...

_It had now been over a week since the fire._

As Rose lay back against her soft pillow and gave a sigh, all she wanted to do that evening was sleep, but then the bed shifted and she opened tired eyes and started to smile, enjoying the sight of Oswald turning away from her as he wrapped his arms around Ed and they shared a deep and passionate kiss. She loved to watch them together, but the pregnancy was making her feel exhausted already, and as she heard Ed murmur to her husband and then he gave a soft moan of enjoyment, she smiled as she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep to the soft sounds of their togetherness. It felt like life was returning to normal at last – she hoped it would stay that way for a long time to come, but there was a nagging doubt far at the back of her mind; Gertrude had once said her family had strange luck, and she guessed she was right. Nothing ever seemed to go smoothly in this house for long.

 _It will be okay,_ she said to herself, as her concerns for the future left her alone while she rested, warm beside her husband as he embraced Ed, and then Rose slept deeply, for now, no longer troubled by fears for the future...

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 

Rose:

_'Lilly came home after three weeks. But it wasn't long before she was walking again, she was hobbling about on her cane with a limp just like her father, but as she got stronger and more confident, even needing the cane didn't seem to get her down. Nothing stood in the way of her carrying on with her life as she usually did. The first time she came over to the house and tapped on the door with her parasol, I'd never seen Ivan move so fast as he got up from the table. The kids went out to play, and we didn't have to worry about the barn any more, because there was no barn._

_The weeks turned into months and no more disasters struck our family. The oil company was doing well, finances were good, there was not a cloud on the horizon. By now the baby was due any day. That's what we were looking forward to, the arrival of the new baby and a future with nothing else going wrong...And in some ways, we would get our wish but in others, perhaps not._

_Nothing could ever be perfect under the often clouded and stormy skies of Gotham, but it seemed our family was getting by well enough, at last..._

_We didn't know what the future would bring, that one day there would be a new consequence to this life we had lived with its roots at the dark days of Penguin's rise to power, Oswald had built our new lives on that blood-drenched foundation and while it was beautiful at the top, beneath the surface, darkness was growing as sure as it touched all who lived in the city of Gotham. One day there would be so much more to Lilly Kapelput than simply being the strange little girl who grew up to resemble her father... But for now, those days seemed far off. My baby was due. Everyone was excited about meeting the new addition to the family...'_

 

The sky was grey and filled with the promise of rain, it reflected dull and cold on the Gotham River as they sat side by side in the car, watching the water and the cold, dull view of the city across the other side. It was the kind of morning that made Ed think of the past, and today it took him too far back, to a time when the events played out on this pier, orchestrated by his own hand, had happened right at this spot - and he felt sure it would haunt him forever.

“I'll never forget what I did,” he said, “When I shot you. I love you, how could I ever have done such a thing?” and he looked at Oswald, whose expression was far from haunted by the past. He smiled as no shadows of yesterday dampened his mood.

“It was fate,” Oswald replied, “You tried to kill me, Ivy saved me. Then my first child came along. Then I met Rose, later you came back to me... it's all destined.”

Today the past seemed far too close for comfort, it also seemed as if they had travelled back in time as they sat there waiting for other cars to pull up. Oswald's links to the underworld were kept very quiet these days, but no one ever really walked away from such powerful ties, not really... There had been peace in the underworld for a long time, but there had recently been a disagreement over weapons shipments and with a delivery compromised, so those at the top of the chain had agreed to meet to discuss a course of action. 

“I'm only here to be polite,” Oswald assured him as other cars began to arrive and Ed felt his throat go tight, “When I made the deal to hand over territory to others, it was on the understanding that I will always get a slice of the profits. When something goes wrong, they need my input – that was part of their deal.”

“I'm armed,” Ed said quietly, then he forced a smile, “The last time I was here with a gun it was you taking a bullet, by my hand... Do I trust your associates? No, I do not! But I'm just going to sit in this car, saying nothing, with my gun concealed, today I'm not Riddler nor can I hear his voice. I'm just trying to watch over my husband and make sure he doesn't get killed.”

The others who had just arrived were getting out of their cars and gathering.

“Now is not like it was back then, stop worrying so much,” Oswald replied, then he kissed him and got out of the car, closed the door and walked away.

Ed sat there in the driving seat looking nervously towards the gathered people. Some of them were new faces, others were the same gang leaders who used to meet around his table when Oswald had run the underworld in the days before his marriage.

Those who Ed recognised looked a little older now, but not Oswald as he leaned on his cane and hobbled over to join them, looking dashing in his suit and even up close, he still didn't look a day over thirty-five. Ed assumed he never would, because of that potion Ivy had given him, when she had saved his life. She said it would stop him ageing, and it had certainly worked. Oswald still looked young and vibrant. At that moment, he looked like Penguin again as he joined in a heated discussion.

Ed's hand crept to his loaded gun as he took a slow breath, watching the meeting, waiting for any hint of a sign that his love was in trouble. This was the price they paid for the new life they enjoyed now... As far as most in Gotham were concerned, Oswald owned the oil company and enjoyed success as a legitimate businessman – but this was the reality, _this_ was under the surface. He would never be able to completely cut ties with the underworld...

After waiting for more than thirty minutes and watching a heated discussion, Ed saw handshakes and then polite farewells and he breathed a relieved sigh as people started to leave and Oswald hobbled back to the car. As he got back in and joined him, he smiled warmly at Ed.

“The first time we've had to meet as an emergency in over ten years and I didn't have to stab anyone!”

“Is it resolved?” Ed asked, sounding tense, “Please tell me this is over. We have a really nice life now and I don't want that to change!”

Oswald watched as the final car drove away, now they were alone, theirs was the only car parked close to the pier.

“There will be a couple of discreet shootings and a few people need to be replaced within certain areas of the weapons trade, but it was a good outcome. Don't worry, Ed. There's no war coming.”

Oswald leaned closer, ran his fingers through his hair and kissed him. Then as he heard the sound of an approaching car, he looked over his shoulder as they embraced and recognised the car and the driver. _If the GCPD had been tipped off something was happening here today, they were too late, at least to catch the kind of meeting they were expecting..._ As Oswald pulled away from his embrace, there was a playful look in his eyes.

“We don't have to go home just yet...”

He tugged down his zip. Ed's gaze fell on his growing erection and he laughed softly and leaned closer to his ear.

“You want me to blow you by the river? After the meeting you just had?”

“It might relieve my stress!” Oswald said in amusement, then he slid his hand to the back of Ed's head and gently pushed him downward. As he took him in his mouth, Oswald hardened rock solid and closed his eyes, giving a sigh of contentment as Ed started to caress him with his mouth. _What a place to do this, what a time to do this..._ The very thought of it was turning him on as much as Ed's attention aroused him... and a short distance away, he heard a car door close. _Yes, Jim Gordon was heading over to the car..._

As Jim approached the car, he caught sight of Oswald apparently alone in the passenger seat, he was leaning back against the seat, gasping for air. His first thoughts on the situation was that maybe the tip off about the meeting at the pier had been genuine – and it looked like Oswald had possibly been shot or stabbed...

He raced over to the car, just as Oswald gave a gasp.

“Penguin?” he called urgently as he ran over.

“ _What?”_ Ed exclaimed as he sat upright.

Jim had reached the car. He stared at Oswald, who was breathless and flushed as he tidied his clothing. By the look on his face, he had definitely interrupted something and it had nothing to do with underworld business, by the way Ed had just raised his head from Oswald's lap...

“Yes Jim, can we do something for you?” Oswald said in annoyance as he glared at him through the car window, “I would love to know what you claim to be investigating to turn up at a time like this! Since when did you have so much time on your hands you could afford to waste it peeping at me while I have an intimate moment with my husband?”

Ed had looked away, he was trying hard not to laugh as he glanced at Jim, but seeing the look on his face, he had to look away again.

Jim was blushing.

“I'm sorry,” he said politely, “We had a tip off about something happening at the pier that might be of interest...”

Now laughter came from inside the car. It was Ed. He shook his head and laughed again. Oswald was focused on Jim, not daring to look at him as he kept up the pretence of being offended.

“I would love to know why you find the idea of getting intimate with me so interesting,” he replied, “There was a time when I considered you a very close friend. If things had turned out differently perhaps you would be sitting in this car today instead of Ed. But that's not the case and I will remind you I'm happily married. So next time you get the urge to spy on me I suggest you think about your motives first!”

Jim's face was still flushed as he spoke again. Looking at Oswald, it was as if the years had fallen away. He still looked the same as he had back in the days when he ran the underworld. He didn't know how he managed to look so young – maybe it was something to do with having a good sex life and two spouses, that was all he could put it down to...And there was still something about him that caught his eye no matter how hard he tried to deny it...

“I'm really sorry,” he said again, “It was a misunderstanding.”

“Apology accepted,” Oswald replied, and he watched as Jim waked back to his car.

As he drove away, Ed laughed again.

“You knew he was here! That was why you asked me to do that to you!”

“Yes!” Oswald confirmed, and then he laughed with him.

“You're a naughty little Penguin!” Ed playfully scolded.

“And I promise you, I always will be!” Oswald assured him, then Ed started up the car.

As they drove off in the direction that would lead back home, Ed was still thinking about the tension of the meeting. Thankfully Oswald's little stunt had lightened the mood, but his thoughts were still with his underworld ties. It made him uneasy, it always had, to know he was still an influential figure in the darker side of Gotham, despite on the surface being a successful businessman whose hands appeared to be clean.

“Do you think Lilly will be able to handle taking over from you when she's older?” he asked.

“I have no doubt she will enjoy it,” Oswald replied.

“My thoughts too,” Ed agreed, “But you'll always advise her?”

“Of course – she won't be left to handle serious matters on her own,” he assured him.

“I'm glad about that,” Ed replied, “We can all remember being young and impulsive.”

They exchanged a glance. In that moment, memories of old quarrels and painful mistakes passed silently between them.

“She's smart,” Oswald replied, “She was born for this job.”

“When are you going to tell her?”

“She already knows,” he replied, “Not everything, but some of it.”

“What about Ozzie?” Ed asked.

“He's such a good boy. He can come and work for me at the oil company when he's older. I'm happy for him to take over one day.”

“I can see him doing well with that. I wonder what Ivan will do?”

“That's not up to me,” Oswald replied, “I'll leave that to you. Ivy might need a hand with the jewellery business. Or maybe he'll want to help her with her plant research.”

“I'm wondering if Eddie will do that, he's very interested in her laboratory. Maybe he'll get into forensics when he's older, he's got a very scientific mind.”

Oswald laughed.

“That would be perfect! Can you imagine if he worked for the GCPD?”

They exchanged another glance.

“He'd be very useful for getting rid of crime scene evidence if Lilly ever needed a hand,” Ed agreed.

Home was in sight. Oswald smiled at the thought of returning to his family after a morning that had been a too close reminder of the past. He thought of Rose and their baby, the child that was due to be born any day now, and felt a warm glow in his heart.

“I'm so excited about the baby!”

“We all are,” Ed replied with a smile, then they drove through the open gates of the mansion, arriving home at last.

 

Rose had been feeling odd all morning. It wasn't like the start of labour pains, she just felt strange, like she was partly detached from the rest of the world. Ozzie had kicked up a fuss that morning about not being able to find his homework, and she had heard Gertrude telling him to look for it, but their voices had sounded distant. That had been a few hours ago, now she was resting on the sofa in the front room, shifting her tired gaze from the flickering firelight to the clock on the wall.

Oswald had told her he had to meet with gang leaders today – a rare occurrence – and she was worried. She feared there might be trouble, things had been quiet in the underworld for many years and it had to be serious for her husband to be getting involved... She thought about the baby and started feeling worried sick.

It was getting hard to see the time now, the clock face looked blurred and so did the firelight as the flames danced in the fireplace. She heard the front door close, then she heard the familiar footfalls of her husband, his limping step and the tap of his cane against the marble floor, and she breathed a relieved sigh. She heard Ed say he would see him later on, then he walked away and as the door opened, Rose got up from the sofa, the room span and then she drew in a breath, swaying as she looked at her husband.

“How was your meeting?”

“It was fine... what's wrong with you, Rose?”

Oswald was at her side now, steadying her as she looked at him and struggled to focus.

“You need to sit down!” he said as panic crept into his voice and he called for his mother to join them.

“I'm fine...” Rose whispered, closing her hand tightly on the sleeve of his suit, “I just feel dizzy...”

Oswald was panicking now. Rose was pale and her eyes could barely focus.

“You're _not_ fine!” he insisted.

“I am fine, I'm okay... stop worrying...” she murmured, then the world went black as she lost consciousness and slumped heavy in his arms.

 

Rose knew nothing of the next few hours. She didn't know the shock or the fear that ran through her husbands mind, she didn't know Ed and Ivy took over looking after the kids and said nothing for fear of worrying them while she was rushed to hospital with life threatening complications that ended with her needing an emergency C-section and a hysterectomy.

But the baby was fine, after all the worry Oswald went through as his mother tried to reassure him, Rose pulled through and the baby was born strong and healthy, this time they had a daughter, just like the psychic had predicted, and she had eyes like her grandmother.

When Rose woke up, Oswald was at her bedside. His eyes were slightly red from crying and he sounded emotional as he cradled their child in his arms.

“She's so beautiful,” he said, “She looks like you, Mother.”

“Another little Cobblepot,” Gertrude said fondly, then she looked to Rose and saw she was awake.

“And you are back with us!” she said kindly, “Rose, look - the baby is here!”

Rose recalled blacking out. She had also realised she felt weak, and as she found her voice, worry filled her thoughts.

“Is the baby okay? What happened?” she whispered.

Oswald sat beside her bed, smiled down at his daughter in his arms and then met her gaze.

“You had complications, Rose. They had to operate, you needed a C-section and a hysterectomy. But you're going to be okay, and this little one is absolutely fine...”

He leaned closer and she looked into her daughter's eyes for the first time.

“You have eyes like Grandma!” she said softly as tears of joy filled her vision. Then she thought on what he had just told her.

“We can't have any more kids?”

“It doesn't matter!” Oswald insisted, “I have you and Ozzie and this little one...I'm happy, this is perfect. I love you, Rose.”

“I love you too,” she whispered, then as he leaned closer and kissed her cheek, she briefly grasped her daughter's tiny hand. Then tiredness swept over her and Rose slept deeply.

It took her several days to recover well enough to return home, but when she did, she had more than enough help from her husband and Ed and Oswald's mother, who adored her new granddaughter. They named the baby Karina Gertrude Cobblepot. Oswald was overjoyed to have another child, and when Rose reminded him they could have no more together, he simply repeated that it did not matter – he had his son and now two daughters, and he was happy – now, he felt like his family was complete.

 

Two weeks after Rose came home with the baby, while Ozzie was quietly doing his homework in his room, Ivan quietly left the house by the back door after getting a message from Lilly. The emphasis on _quiet_ applied to everyone, because the baby needed to sleep.

He took the path to the place where the barn used to stand, now that space was no longer empty – in its place was a very elaborate play house, it was a full sized cottage with electricity and heating, it was a very expensive present that Ivy had bought after the fire, a safe play house filled with furniture. It was all on ground floor level too, so Ivy didn't have to worry about Lilly slipping with her cane on the stairs.

She was waiting for him on the porch, dressed in black with her long hair whipping up at the ends as the breeze caught it. She was leaning on her cane as elegantly as her father did.

“Hurry!” she instructed him, “I have something of great importance to show you!”

Light rain had started to fall. He hurried over to join her and then he followed her inside and she closed the door. As the rain fell against the windows, the warm glow of the electric lighting within made the place look cosy. She led him through the front room, then down a narrow hallway and into another room where there was a sign on the door that said _Lilly's Room – Keep out!_

“I thought I wasn't allowed in here?” he asked cautiously as she closed the door behind him.

“The rules have changed.”

Ivan looked at her in confusion, then he blinked, looking in surprise at the papers that had been pinned to the wall: Notes, lots of them. And drawings, detailed drawings of strange devices and machinery, all in pencil and adorned with notes and arrows and parts circled.

“What have you been planning in here?” he asked.

“That can wait,” she said, then as she leaned on her cane, her gaze filled with emotion.

“I want you to know that I trust you. And I will _never_ break your bones. I will always be kind to you, Parasol Boy. Actually, I found out it's not very nice to be called an umbrella boy...or a parasol boy. So I might start calling you Ivan.”

He nodded.

“Okay... do I still hold your parasol?”

“Yes,” she confirmed, then she paused to blink misty eyes as she smiled.

“I have a great destiny when I'm older. I know how I shall be to carry out that destiny, but there was something missing. It's now been found! Ivan, the missing piece to my plans has fallen into place!”

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

She had a gleam in her eyes that was somewhere between victorious and highly emotional.

“I watched a movie. Actually, I stole a set of DVDs from my Uncle Ed's collection – the ones he keeps locked away because he said it's not for kids... And I found my inspiration!”

“For what?” Ivan said.

Lilly paused, recalling the story as she blinked away tears.

“I totally get why he said those movies are not for kids... it was _so_ emotional! I want you to watch it with me!”

“Oh no,” Ivan said as he shook his head, “No way am I sitting through some mushy chick flick... I didn't even know Ed watched sentimental stuff. I don't like movies that make me cry!”

Lilly stepped closer, leaning hard on her cane as she looked up at him.

“You must see it! Let me tell you about the story... It's about a clever and selfless man who, although sick and in great pain, goes to great lengths to make those who take life for granted and treat other people badly see the error of their ways, he does this through devising tests that make them revaluate and ultimately appreciate their lives, in order to become better people!”

Ivan shook his head.

“I don't think I know that story, Lilly”

She shot him a look of surprise as she grabbed a DVD box set off the table and showed it to him.

“ _You've never seen the Saw movies?”_ she said in surprise.

Ivan looked at the case in her hand.

“That looks like one of Uncle Ed's gory horror collections. He loves stuff about bodies getting chopped up. It's a horror movie, Lilly!”

“You miss my point,” she said dismissively, “Look deeper into this – when I am older, I may have to kill people. Some of those people may deserve to be punished, they might not deserve to die, they might just need to learn a lesson. But mostly, the bad ones _will_ die. Anyway, my point is, Jigsaw uses games. Like my Uncle Ed creates riddles... a riddle is a puzzle, like a game. And my Dad had to kill people years ago, he had to, he was in a dangerous job... when I'm older, I too may have to kill people. But the worst of them, those who really deserve it, _will_ play my games!”

Ivan looked around the room at the notes pinned to the walls, he took in the intricacy of her diagrams – her own inventions, plans for devices to one day use on her enemies.

“Wow...” he whispered.

Lilly felt worried as he kept on looking at those diagrams.

“Say something else, Ivan. And look at me. And please don't say I'm creepy! Everyone at school says that!”

Ivan looked back at her, straight into her ice blue eyes. He was under no illusions about Oswald's past and he knew all about Ed's past, too. He guessed it should come as no surprise that Lilly would be capable of plans like this.

“I think you're a genius!” he said, “And when you're older, no one will mess with you.”

She smiled proudly.

“Some day I will take over my father's underworld dealings. And I will be unstoppable!” then she gathered her thoughts, “While I was watching the movie, I thought, that clever man who is so sick reminds me in a way of my Dad... he was sick years ago. I remember when I was young, I watched him recover. He had to kill people, too, when he ran the underworld... but he carried out his plans and now we have a lovely home and very good life. My father is my hero.”

“But don't ever tell him you compare him to Jigsaw,” Ivan replied, “I really don't think he would like that.”

“To the eyes of the world, I am Lilly Kapelput, but my enemies will meet The Gotham Jigsaw,” she replied, “And they will come to fear my wrath!”

A thought had suddenly struck Ivan - and it troubled him.

“When you're older, you'll be mixing with dangerous people,” he said, “I don't want you to get hurt.”

“I'll be fine! I fear no one!” she said defiantly, then she sat down on a comfortable chair and leaned her cane against the wall.

“Play the movie, Ivan,” she added, “You must see this!”

He put the DVD on and then grabbed a bean bag seat and sunk into it as he hit play on the remote control.

“And I suppose later, _someone_ will have to sneak into the house and put this box set back before Ed realises it's missing?”

He glanced around at Lilly and she smiled at him, confirming his assumption.

“I have every faith in your ability to do that,” she told him.

“I thought as much,” he said, giving a weary sigh as the movie started to play.

 

All that Lilly had told him stayed on Ivan's mind. His main concern was the thought of the risk that she would be facing when she took on her role in the darker side of Oswald's life. _And that led to an idea._ Two weeks later, he went into town and took a route he had not taken since the days he had been homeless and scared and on the run after the shooting – he walked around the back of the Iceberg Lounge and knocked on the door.

As he stood there waiting for an answer, memories flooded his mind and he felt a surge of emotion. He hadn't known how life would turn out. But here he was, almost fourteen, and looking back on the day he had showed up here, scared for his life and about to face Penguin after confessing to shooting Ed. Now Ed was like a father to him...So much had changed. And now, he knew what he wanted to do with his life.

The door opened. Victor Zsasz looked at him in surprise.

“What brings you here, Ivan?” he asked.

Ivan took a deep breath.

“I want you to teach me how to shoot - properly. I want to learn the right way to handle a gun.”

“Who are you trying to kill now?” Victor exclaimed.

“No, it's not like that,” Ivan told him, “I want to learn to use a gun so I can defend her when I'm older. I want to be Lilly's bodyguard one day.”

Victor paused for thought and then he smiled.

“If you still want to do this when you're older, maybe I can teach you. Right now you are too young to be handling a gun. If this is still what you want when you're old enough, first you ask Penguin, and if he says yes, you come to me and I'll teach you. That's the best I can do.”

Ivan smiled too.

“Thanks Victor,” he replied, “I will definitely be asking you again some day.”

As Ivan walked away, Victor closed the door then he went back into the club, still thinking about Ivan's request. It was strange, but the more he thought about it, the more he could picture that kid growing up to be exactly what he wanted to be. He had seen it in his eyes, that boy really meant what he said, Ivan truly wanted to be the one who watched over Lilly some day...

 

As night fell on the Cobblepot estate, Oswald was silent as he sat drinking alone with an open bottle beside him. Rose had gone to bed, tired after settling the baby to sleep. Karina would be waking in a few hours and her sleep would be broken yet again. He felt guilty as he thought of what she had been through, then he swallowed more wine and put the glass on the table and settled back on the sofa, watching the fire place as flames flickered warmly.

“Oswald?”

His mood picked up as Ed walked into the room.

“You don't look too happy for a man who has everything,” he remarked, and sat beside him, putting an arm around his shoulder as Oswald leaned in, shifting closer to him as his presence gave instant comfort.

“I keep thinking about Rose,” he said, “She went through a lot to bring our daughter into this world. And now she can't have any more kids. It's my fault.”

Ed met his gaze with a confused look, and then he smiled as he shook his head.

“Stop it, Oz! You got her pregnant because you wanted a baby so it's your fault she had complications? You have to stop blaming yourself for this stuff! It happened, forget about it. Rose is happy, she loves the baby as much as you do, you've got your family, you have me, you have everything you could wish for in life, everyone around you loves you. Why can't you be happy with that?”

His ice blue eyes reflected sadness.

“I often think about it, but I can't quite believe it,” he told him, “Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I remember the old days and I'm thinking about becoming king of Gotham, or I'm thinking about grabbing my shot gun because I'm about to go to war with a rival. Or I think I'm back in Arkham and those four walls are closing in. Then I remember I'm here with you and Rose and the kids and I get this crazy feeling that one day I'll wake up and I'm back there, in some bad place I don't want to be and all of this is just a dream. Do you ever think like that?”

Ed said nothing for a moment as he looked into his eyes and silently wished he could kiss away every bad memory and every scar on his body that reminded him of the past.

“No,” he said honestly, “I never think like that.”

Oswald took hold of his hand and gripped it gently, then stroked the back of it as their eyes stayed locked.

“Please don't take this the wrong way,” he added, “But don't have any more kids with Ivy.”

“What?” Ed replied in confusion, “Why would you say that?”

“Because Rose can't have any more. It wouldn't be fair if you and Ivy have more children together.”

He had said it so cautiously, as if he expected him to be offended. Love reflected in his eyes as Ed looked back at him.

“I had a baby with Ivy because you wanted me to have a blood tie to this family,” he reminded him, “Ivy wouldn't want any more kids with me and I'm happy with my son!” he laughed softly, “Oh dear, when I think how hard it was to even manage to have sex with her... she's a friend, it was difficult. I never want to repeat that and neither does she! You say the strangest things sometimes, my weird little Penguin,” he added fondly as he toyed with Oswald's spiked hair, “Just to clarify again so your worried but brilliant mind takes it in, no I do _not_ want to have any more kids with Ivy and she doesn't want any more, either! You've got three children, I've got one and I'm also legal guardian to Ivan. That's enough. We have a big family.”

Oswald smiled up at him, then he shifted position, grabbing at his damaged leg as he laid back on the couch with his head in Ed's lap as Ed stroked his hair.

“Do you think I'm crazy to think the way I do?” Oswald asked as he looked up at him.

Ed smiled as he ran his fingers through his silky spikes and looked down at him.

“I don't think you're crazy to stop sometimes and look around and question how you got from then to now,” he replied fondly, “You've made a great life for all of us. And I guess that is a big step, to go from some of the dark places we used to know, to life as it is now. But yes, all that aside, you're _definitely_ crazy,” he laughed as he leaned over him, catching him with a kiss as he saw his shocked expression, “You're my crazy little Penguin,” he added, “Only someone totally insane would grab life by the throat like you did and make a life like this out of it. And I love you for it!”

They shared a kiss and when Ed came up for air, Oswald was smiling.

“And this is not a dream.”

“It's definitely not a dream. You're allowed to be happy,” Ed reminded him, “We both deserve that.”

Oswald reached for him and Ed pulled him into his arms, kissing him deeply as the firelight flickered and they shared a lasting embrace.

After that conversation with Ed, Oswald tried to push away memories of the dark times. His family was complete, he had the woman he loved at his side and the man who he adored, Ed Nygma - his rock - forever by his side. That feeling of optimism Ed had instilled on the night they had embraced by the fire seemed like a promise that was magical:

The time passed by.

The kids got older, the oil business thrived. Oswald and his two spouses stayed close and they loved him as deeply as ever. As the years began to pass by, no troubles hung over the Cobblepot family.

_It would be almost nine years before troubled times returned..._

 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 

**Nine Years Later**

Rose:

_'The passing years had seen nothing but happiness for all of us. Our marriage stayed strong, our youngest daughter was now nine years old and like her grandmother in many ways – including her love of singing. I adore our daughter but Karina can't sing (just like her grandmother)! She shares her love of jewellery and silk scarves, too. I swear that child keeps Gertrude young._

_By now Ed's son was fourteen and had plans for his life already. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. No, he didn't want to become the next Riddler – he wanted a career in forensics some day. So far Ivy's worry that he might have a split personality like his father had been unfounded._

_The older kids were grown up now._

_Ozzie was nineteen and had grown into a handsome young man who looked a lot like Oswald – but he didn't have his temper, nor was he shy, avoiding relationships like his father had done in his youth. I'd lost count of the girls Ozzie had dated. But he was a passionate young man and had the sensitive heart and soul of a poet. For now, he was just enjoying life. Oswald told him he could come into the oil business in a couple of years, but for now, he was just waiting for him to start taking life more seriously before he entered into a career._

_As for Ivan, he was twenty-three years old and he had meant what he said all those years ago when he told Victor he wanted to protect Lilly. At the age of nineteen, Victor had taken him under his wing and taught him all he knew. He had taught him well. No matter what situation Lilly found herself in, she had her protector watching over her._

_By now, storm clouds had gathered over the once peaceful underworld. There had been some shootings lately, and when Lilly had stepped in take over some of her father's dealings, there had been a threat made on her life. So far - thankfully - nothing had come of that, but Ivy slept well every night knowing Ivan was her daughter's bodyguard._

_By now I had noticed little things with Ivan, so had Gertrude, who reminded me about the psychic's prediction:_

_When he walked beside her, Ivan always walked on her right side, he often had a hand on her back, too. He was always mindful of her damaged leg and her limp, keeping her covered to be sure she didn't stumble. I'd seen the look in his eyes when he stole a glance at her sometimes, too. But if Ivan was in love with her, the poor guy would possibly be in for a very long wait – she was like her father in all ways, in his youth, he didn't date. Neither did Lilly..._

_By now Lilly was twenty-two. She had grown into a petite, slender woman who always wore elegant clothing – apart from the fact that she liked to wear long, narrow skirts that fell almost to her ankles to hide the scars to her leg. Those skirts had a slit that went all the way up to her thigh and I don't know how she managed to get through the pain barrier to achieve it, but everywhere she went, she wore shiny black shoes with stiletto heels. Her limp didn't stop her from doing anything - even wearing those shoes._

_Ivy worried about Lilly. It wasn't just the fact that she was now mixed up in underworld business – she knew Lilly had her father's darkness. She had seen the many plans and drawings and understood that Lilly would hand out her own brand of punishment if an enemy ever deserved it. She also said Lilly was crazy, but she had made a child with a crazy man all those years ago, so she could hardly complain about the result._

_ I'm sure this was the reason why Ivy drank too much sometimes. She said Lilly was the same as Oswald, two survivors of the Cobblepot curse, both born with darkness in their souls. She also regretted the fact that her attempt to cure the wear and tear to Oswald's damaged leg had only been partially successful. But my husband had nothing to complain about. When ever Ivy mentioned that she had failed to fix his leg, he put his arm around her and kissed her cheek and reminded her that didn't matter because a few years before, she had saved his life – and Lilly's – and he would be forever grateful. Time had been good to Oswald. That cure had a permanent side effect – he still didn't look his age. Perhaps the lines on his face had deepened a little, but he didn't look a day over forty. He was still in good shape, still the same elegantly dressed man with the dark spiked up hair. But his damaged leg had started to give him pain sometimes, and we knew pretty soon he would need a wheelchair on those rare bad days or at least, if he had to walk a long distance. But for now, he was still managing well with the cane.  _

_Ed Nygma also looked in good shape. He had taken a shot of the isolated formula ingredient that activated permanent cell renewal a few years back. I have no idea if taking it it was painful or not, he simply admitted he was high at the time. Yes, Ed still liked a buzz, he hadn't exactly given it up._

_But that was our family. Not one of us were perfect, but we were held together by love. The years had been good to us. But things were about to get rough - and Lilly was about to let the full extent of her darkness start to shine...'_

 

It was two days before Ed and Oswald's wedding anniversary. A party was planned at the Iceberg Lounge. Oswald was thinking about that party and smiling as he sat in his study, where he was supposed to be checking over company files, but instead, he had poured himself a drink and sat there doing nothing as he idly lost some time simply thinking on what a great party it would be.

Then the door opened and Lilly came in. Her hair was pinned up, the front and sides were swept up in raven black spikes like her father, and she leaned on a cane that looked like a closed lace parasol. There was a button concealed in the handle, it was there to release a large, razor sharp blade if she ever needed to use it. She loved that cane, he had given it to her for her eighteenth birthday. She limped into the room and pulled out a chair, sat down and looked at him across the polished desk.

“I need to talk to you.”

Oswald finished his glass of wine and looked back across the desk at her. His daughter usually looked so bright and cheerful, but today she seemed troubled.

“What is on your mind?” Oswald asked.

Lilly blinked mascara coated ice blue eyes and her expression shaded with worry.

“Dad, I want to be strong in my role as your representative. But I have a weakness and I must get rid of it.”

Oswald's face registered surprise.

“I thought your only weakness was expensive cosmetics and buying too many shoes!”

Lilly paused, not wanting to say it, because to say it would take her back to a time that had filled her with fear... but it had to be done. She wanted no weaknesses left that could prove her undoing some day.

“I realise that one day, if there is a war or hostilities of any kind, there may also be fire. I am terrified of naked flames.”

“We have open fires here at the mansion!”

“No, I'm not afraid of those, Dad! I mean actual fires, dangerous, out of control flames. It could be the death of me. I can't let something that happened so long ago leave me with a phobia.”

Oswald paused for thought.

“I used to have an enforcer called Firefly. I can still call on her services if I need her. I'll ask her to come over to the house, see if she can help you.”

Lilly smiled.

“Thanks, Dad,” she replied, “I must overcome this fear. I intend to have no fear left, then nothing can ever harm me.”

“That's very sensible,” Oswald agreed, “If you have no weakness, you will seem invincible.”

“Like you, Dad,” she added, and Oswald laughed.

“We all have weaknesses, Lilly. The trick is, not to let your enemies know about it...”

“I can't imagine you having a weakness for anything,” Lilly told him.

Oswald fell silent for a moment, in that brief pause he thought back to a time before he had met her mother, way back to the days when he had been an umbrella boy...

“Everyone has a weakness,” he said again, then he changed the subject, “Are you sure you want to try and face your difficulty? Fire may be something you never have to face in reality, Lilly.”

“I want to cover everything, just to be sure,” she explained, “I can't afford to make a mistake, not now, or ever...”

 

She arrived the next day, early in the morning, a car dropped her off outside and as Firefly entered the mansion, Rose, who had opened the door, felt a chill run down her spine:

This was one of the people Oswald knew from the old days, one of the so called  _ monsters _ of Gotham created by Hugo Strange back in his days of human experimentation. She carried with her the smell of smoke and gasoline and all the dark and hidden places, the abandoned parts of town, the troubled areas... 

_ She didn't belong in this neighbourhood. The sight of the flamethrower made her uneasy... Then she felt bad for thinking like that, Oswald had told her all about the girl called Bridgit Pike whose suit had melted into her skin after she accidentally set herself on fire while she was still in her teens. She had worked for him as an enforcer in the old days. He said she was an old friend. It was just the sight of the flame thrower and the fact that she came from the roughest part of the city that set her on edge... _

Rose smiled and held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you, I'm Rose Cobblepot.”

Firefly shook her hand and smiled back at her. Rose noticed her face was marked with small silver lines, old scars from old burns.

“I've heard all about you from Penguin,” she said, “We had a long conversation on the phone yesterday...” she glanced around the wide and palatial entrance hall, “You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you,” Rose replied, feeling more at ease. Bridgit had dark brown eyes as soft as her voice, and Rose had just seen beyond the _monster_ label.

Just then Ozzie came down the staircase. He paused for a moment, then carried on down to the bottom of the stairs and smiled.

“You must be Bridgit,” he said, walking over to her and shaking her hand, “I've heard all about you from my Dad!”

Bridgit looked in surprise at the man who stood before her – he was very much like his father, but his features were softer, rather like his mother Rose, and he didn't have a limp. He wore a dark suit but his shirt was open at the neck and if he noticed her scars as he looked at her, he didn't stare. It always made her happy when people didn't stare...

“Nice to met you, Ozzie,” she told him, “

As Oswald joined them in the hallway, he and Bridgit exchanged a fond glance and then he hobbed closer and gave her a warm welcome, briefly hugging her and then letting go again.

“Thank you so much for taking the time to do this,” he said, “Lilly is over at the house waiting for you – the other house. She lives with her mother at the back of the estate.”

“I'll show you the way,” Ozzie said, then he led her away.

Rose cast a doubtful glance at her husband.

“Do you really think Lilly can do this? I mean, she's terrified of fire.”

“I hope she can,” he replied, “She thinks like me – she doesn't want a weakness to be her downfall. I can understand that.”

 

As they left the house and began to walk along the path that led to Ivy's place, Ozzie began a conversation with Bridgit.

“My Dad told me about your accident years ago,” he said, “Did that leave you with any kind of fear of fire?”

She glanced at him, and the softness of her eyes struck deeply in his heart.

“You're not afraid to ask questions!”

“I'm guessing people don't ask often enough?”

“You're right about that,” she replied, “Asking is better than staring. No, I wasn't afraid of fire. At the time of the accident my fire proof clothing melted into my skin. I'm fireproof now. So I have no reason to be afraid of fire.”

They turned the corner and went past the elaborate playhouse, now it was decked out with pink drapes at the window and had a sign on the door that said  _ Karina's Cottage. _

“That's my little sister's play house,” Ozzie told her, “Me and Lilly used to hang out there when we were kids. My Aunt Ivy had it built to replace the barn, it used to stand on that same spot. I remember the day of the fire like it was yesterday...” he paused, looking back to the place where the barn used to stand, “I was talking to Ivan – he's Ed Nygma's adopted son – we were about to leave and suddenly we heard Lilly screaming for help. The barn was on fire, she was up in the hayloft. I ran for help and Ivan got her out. But when he ran in, the floor had collapsed and she'd fallen straight through. She wasn't burned but she shattered her leg. That's why she has a limp like my Dad.”

Bridgit was looking over at the play house, picturing the burning barn in her mind.

“Tell me about the fire. How high were the flames?”

“They were all around her. Ivan said she was on the ground, where she fell into the middle of the barn. Just after he got her out, the roof caved in.”

“So she was surrounded by fire?”

Ozzie nodded.

“It was terrifying. I was just a kid, I remember running for help thinking my sister was going to die.”

“We've all been through scary situations,” Bridgit reminded him, “It's life, shit happens. But we get through it.”

“It must have been hard for you,” he replied, “Getting so badly burned.”

She shrugged.

“It happened, Ozzie. But I established myself as Firefly, I started a new life. I still avoid mirrors, but life goes on.”

Ozzie turned away from the spot where the barn once stood and they headed towards the house. He wanted to say so much more, especially in response to her remark about avoiding mirrors. He found her fascinating, and he happened to think her eyes were beautiful. But he didn't know her well enough to make such a personal comment.

“You probably hear this a lot,” he said as they walked towards the porch, “But you must be a very tough person to come through all of that.”

She glanced at him and smiled.

“I don't think I am. But people also say your Dad is a tough guy. I remember him as tough in the old days. Perhaps I'm seeing a softer side of him now, he seems very happy to have settled down to raise a family.”

“He's a great father,” Ozzie replied, “And he is tough. He's got more guts than I'll ever have. I could never have half of his courage.”

“He's made a very good life for you all,” Bridgit replied, “I always got on well with your Dad. Even when times were rough, he always treated me well. He's a true gentleman.”

Just then Lilly opened the door and leaned on her cane as she stepped out of the house to greet them. Ivy followed her out and she smiled warmly at her old friend.

“Bridgit! It's so good to see you!”

“It's good to see you too,” she replied, then she looked in surprise at the young woman who strikingly resembled her father.

“You're Lilly? It's like I'm looking at your father! You are so like him, I'd heard that said but... Wow, you really _do_ resemble him so much!”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Firefly,” Lilly said, shaking her hand.

“Call me Bridgit,” she replied, then she caught a hint of worry in Ivy's eyes.

“Don't worry, she'll be quite safe.”

“I have faith in you,” Ivy assured her.

Just then Ivan joined them. As Lilly put up her parasol, he took it from her then held it, shading her from the sunlight as beneath it, the black lace shadowed against her china pale skin.

“Shall we get started?” Bridgit asked.

“What are going to do?” Ivy asked.

“I'm going to start with small fires, that's enough for today – and I'll need a hose to put the fires out, too.”

“I'll set that up,” Ivan said, and he handed the parasol back to Lilly and walked off with Ivy towards the greenhouse.

“We could go out to the field and start building some small fires, it's safe enough there,” Ozzie said, then he looked to his sister as he saw a flicker of anxiety reflect in her eyes.

“You'll be okay,” he reminded her, “Bridgit will keep you safe... and I'm coming along to watch and so is Ivan,” then he glanced at Bridgit, “It's not that I don't have faith in you, I just want to see how this works.”

She smiled.

“I know that, Ozzie,” she said, “Now, let's get started.”

They spent the rest of the day out there in the field, with small fires lit and a path between them, as Bridgit walked through the pathway, then waited for the breeze to die down. Then she told Lilly to come closer. At first she hesitated, then she took one step at a time towards the same path Bridgit had walked. By the end of the first day, Lilly had been shaking and breaking into a sweat and even came close to an anxiety attack, but she had managed to walk past those fires. The next day, they would build them bigger and higher...

 

When the party came around, it was a good night. Eddie and Karina had to stay at home, with Gertrude baby sitting. Ever since he had taken over the Iceberg Lounge, Victor Zsasz had never stopped worrying about the carpets and the upholstery. He had once allowed a prominent underworld figure to have a family gathering there and a horde of their kids had come along. It had taken a week to get food stains out of the carpet and so he had said, no one under the age of eighteen could enter, even for private parties.

Tonight he had a good idea how the evening would turn out, it was Penguin's family gathering, along with close friends and old associates. There would be a lot of drinking, Ed would pop whatever pill he felt like popping and once Penguin was drunk, he would pull him on to his lap and spend the rest of the night kissing him in a cosy corner. There would be no mess or trouble tonight.

He was right about that, too – by eleven pm Ed was sitting between Ivy and Rose and hugging them both, calling them _ my girls  _ and saying how much he loved them, then he had looked about the busy room for Oswald.

“Where is he?” he wondered.

Just then Oswald staggered over, without his cane, and paused to swig from a champagne bottle.

“Happy anniversary, my love!” he said.

Ed smiled warmly as he sat forward, sliding his arms free from the two women.

“Happy anniversary to you too, my little Penguin,” he replied, then he noticed he was swaying and his eyes looked glazed, “Are you drunk already?”

“Yes,” Oswald replied, “I can confirm I am _very_ drunk, Ed...”

“Where's your cane?”

“I don't know...” he looked about the busy club.

Rose glanced over at the other table, where Lilly sat with Ozzie and Ivan.

“Ozzie, your drunken father's lost his cane.”

He got up.

“I think I saw it at the bar...” he hurried off to find it.

Ed got up and put his arm around Oswald.

“Come with me, Oswald,” he said, leading him over to some seating in the corner where the lights were dim and cosy, “I'm so loved up tonight... I just want to kiss you all night long.”

He sat down, then pulled Oswald on to his lap and their gaze locked, then Ed drew him close. By the time Ozzie had returned with his Dad's cane Rose took it from him and leaned it against the chair.

“Thanks, but he won't be needing it now.”

Ozzie looked over to the corner of the room. His father was embracing his Uncle Ed like they were falling in love all over again.

“Well it is their anniversary,” he remarked.

Lilly sipped the last of her iced water and settled back in her seat as Ivan sat beside her.

“Are you sure you don't want anything stronger?” he asked.

“Alcohol blurs judgement,” she replied, “I like to keep my mind sharp, Ivan.”

He glanced at her purple silk blouse and the way her long skirt revealed a shapely leg thanks to the slash in the fabric, then he looked into her eyes.

“You look very nice tonight.”

Lilly smiled brightly.

“Thank you Ivan, as you know I like to take pride in my appearance.”

Ivan took a deep breath as he summoned his courage.

“You look very pretty tonight, Lilly.”

She blinked as surprise registered in her ice blue eyes.

“Compliment accepted,” she said, then she grabbed her cane, got up and hobbled away towards the bar as Ivan sat there, giving a sigh as he wondered what it would take to get through to Lilly. He had been crazy about her for years, long enough to know he meant what he said and he had so much more to say, if only she would listen...

 

The party was over by two am. Ivy was drunk, as soon as she got into the passenger seat of the car, she got comfortable and closed her eyes. She was sleeping so heavily she didn't hear Ed get in and then help Oswald into the back seat to join them, they embraced as Ed closed the door, then he checked Oswald's seatbelt and locked his own, before pausing to kiss him again.

“Keep it under control, love birds!” said Victor as he took the wheel, “Ozzie's in the front seat!”

“Sorry, Ozzie...” Ed said, then he pulled Oswald closer and started whispering in his ear as he made little sounds of appreciation on hearing his promises of what would happen when they returned home.

The car pulled away.

Rose had got into the back seat of the other car, Lilly was beside her and as she closed the door and they waited for Ivan to join them, Lilly turned to Rose and smiled.

“It's been a really good night, and I knew Uncle Ed would pop some pills tonight! He's always the same, once he does that, all he wants to do is be all over my Dad!” she laughed softly.

“And your Dad is very drunk,” Rose replied, “Those two won't be up until late tomorrow!”

Just then, as two cars thundered past Oswald's car and headed towards the club, Victor sensed trouble and slammed on the brakes, turning back as tires squealed on road surface.

“What the hell...” Ed said in alarm, as Oswald sat up straight, looking in alarm to the sight of two black cars that had pulled either side of Lilly's parked vehicle, trapping the car... armed men jumped out. Oswald grabbed at his cane and freed the blade. Suddenly he didn't feel drunk any more.

“ _Hurry, Victor! My wife and daughter are in that car!”_

A short distance away, Rose screamed as a window was shattered and an armed man reached in for Lilly. She had activated the blade on her parasol, and turned it around and stabbed him in the throat as blood spurted into the vehicle. Then he staggered back, the blade lodged in his throat, falling backwards and taking her only weapon with him. Two more armed men were there now, one at the broken window as the other ripped open the passenger door, both brandishing powerful handguns. The man at the broken window reached in and grabbed Lilly by the hair as the other leaned in and she kicked out at him. A gun was pressed to her temple.

Then two shots rang out, the first went straight dead centre through the skull of the attacker, he let go of Lilly and fell, killed instantly. The second shot hit the other armed man in the leg, then in the hip and left him screaming in agony as a third deliberate shot blew off a knee cap.

Lilly opened the car door, kicked the dead body aside, wrenched the blade from the dead man's throat and saw Oswald and Victor walking towards her.

“Nice shooting, Victor!” she said, sounding shaken up.

“It wasn't me,” Victor replied, and as she turned her head, she saw her saviour: There was Ivan, his gun was still smoking, and he put a foot on the throat of the surviving gunman.

“Who hired you?” he demanded.

The wounded man raised a bloody hand, imploring him to stop as Ivan trod down a fraction more on his windpipe. As he fought for air, Victor stood watching, nodding in approval.

“ _That's right... not too much. Make him talk...”_ he said under his breath.

As Oswald hobbled over to the car and helped Rose out, he gave her a hug, then they both watched as Ivan glared down at the surviving attacker.

“Who sent you?” he demanded.

The man coughed.

“Damon Maxen...” he gasped.

“Thank you,” replied Ivan as he took aim.

“ _And now put it him down,”_ murmured Victor as he watched Ivan shoot the attacker in the head.

“Well done,” he said, with pride shining in his eyes as he looked at Ivan, “You learned well, I'm very proud of you.”

“Thanks Victor,” Ivan replied.

Oswald leaned against the car, his arm was still around Rose. Ozzie was beside them, looking on in shock at the bodies on the floor.  _ Shit, he had just seen Ivan kill three people... _

“Is my sis safe now?” he asked.

“For now,” Oswald replied, “But I think I need to arrange a hit on Maxen. He's been talking about swiping turf from people under me for a long while.”

“I'm happy to oblige,” Victor offered.

“ _No.”_

They all turned to Lilly, who wiped the blade of her parasol on the clothing of one of the dead men, then she retracted the blade and used it as a cane once more.

“I have the name of the man who wants me dead. What do we know about him?”

“He owns a big meat processing plant in the industrial part of the city. He's recently attempted to get permission to tear down several apartment blocks near The Narrows to build another factory. That is currently pending,” Ed told her.

“He definitely needs shooting,” Oswald added, “He's tried to kill my Lilly and he's trying to destroy homes.”

“No,” Lilly replied, smiling as the moonlight caught on her blood spattered face, “A shot to the head is too good for him. He causes misery to others and tonight, tried to take my life. He deserves a different kind of end...” her eyes glittered darkly, _“I shall make him play a game. He needs to meet the other side of Lilly Kapelput.”_

“Be careful,” Oswald warned her, and she nodded.

“I always am, Dad.”

“Can I watch?” Ed asked, and then he laughed, “This is going to be fun!”

“I will need your assistance to set up the game,” Lilly confirmed, “I must be careful not leave any clues behind.”

Just then Ivy staggered up to join them, she pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked in dismay at the carnage in the road.

“Oh my god... Lilly, are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Mom,” Lilly promised,” Don't worry... this situation is under control.”

Oswald turned back to Rose.

“You get in the car with Lilly, I'll take Ivy back to the other vehicle with Ed.”

“Good idea,” Victor agreed, “I'll drive you guys home and then come back and take care of the bodies.”

They got back into their cars and drove away. After the night coming to such a shattering end, no one felt like celebrating any more – but Lilly remained calm as she thought about her plan:  _ Yes, the time was coming. Soon she would play the game for the first time, and the man who tried to have her killed would be her first victim... _

 

Next morning, Lilly woke up with a head full of plans, but Bridgit was arriving soon to give her another lesson in facing her fears, so plans had to wait. Ozzie was already up, downstairs hand having breakfast as he looked forward to another visit form the very interesting Bridgit Pike. Gertrude was over at Ivy's house where she had stayed with the youngest kids all night, Ivy was in the vast conservatory were she had passed out on a chair, and very thankful for the water and headache pill that Oswald's mother had been kind enough to leave her to help her sober up.

Lilly was now ready to leave the house and head over to the field when Bridgit arrived. Ivan had just left the house to go and meet them.

And while this was happening, upstairs in the Cobblepot mansion, Rose woke to a groan from Oswald as he realised he had a hangover, then she heard softly spoken words from Ed, and as she bed started to move and Oswald gave a moan of pleasure, she opened her eyes to see Ed making love to her husband. Oswald was on his front, his face was turned towards her and as Ed thrust harder, Oswald gasped and Rose shifted closer, toying with his spiked hair.

“*Is that nice?” she whispered.

“ _Oh yes... it's beautiful...”_ he said breathlessly.

“I love you, Oz,” Ed said softly as he thrust again, making Oswald's body shake with the impact as he whispered it again in his ear and then thrust deeper and more harshly.

Arousal was achingly unbearably now as Rose slid a hand between her legs and started to caress herself, watching intently as her husband was taken closer to climax. Ed had his hand beneath Oswald now, his movements were hard and fast and matched her own as she stimulated herself. Oswald gave a gasp and Ed thrust harder, making him yelp. Then Ed glanced at her and noticed how aroused she had become.

“I think you need to come, Rose...” he said softly, then he repeated the movement as Oswald perspired and shook all over and then gave a loud gasp. The sight of his climax sent her over the edge and as she came too, Ed heard her cry out as Oswald shuddered and he felt every throb deep within his body. One more thrust and his own control was gone, and he came hard.

A short while later they were resting together, embracing with Oswald kept warm in the middle of the bed, his favourite place to be.

“It was a perfect night until the shooting,” Rose said sadly as she recalled the turn of events that had spoiled an otherwise great evening.

“But we know who to target now,” Oswald reminded her, “And Ivan was magnificent. Victor has taught him well. My daughter will always be safe with Ivan at her side.”

“I really want to see her play this game of hers,” Ed added as he turned on to his back and stretched, “My experience in forensics will be invaluable - I can make sure she leaves no trace of evidence behind.”

“And I'm going to leave her alone to play this her way,” Oswald replied, “She's a capable woman, she doesn't need me watching her every move. This is more your kind of enjoyment, Ed.”

Ed's eyes shone with excitement.

“I do love blood and dismemberment!”

“And you must make sure there's no way she can be identified by any victims she chooses to spare.”

“Of course,” Ed agreed, “Maybe use a voice changer, so the victim doesn't see her but hears a voice through a speaker system, a male voice, distorted. And under _no_ circumstances can she record any of it. Cameras will be for monitoring and interacting with her victim only.”

Then Rose spoke up as she shifted closer to her husband and slid her arm around his waist.

“I'm just afraid that if she gets caught, she's in Arkham for the rest of her life.”

“No, that won't happen,” Oswald assured her, “In the event of the Gotham Jigsaw being exposed as Lilly, I shall step in and take the blame.”

He had said that so freely and honestly, but the look of horror he saw in Ed's eyes matched the look in his wife's gaze .

“No, you can't do that!” Ed said in alarm.

“I won't let you spend the rest of your life in Arkham!” Rose added.

“Lilly is my daughter,” he reminded them, “I have faith that she will go undetected. But, in the unlikely event that she is charged, I will have to step in and take the fall for her. It's what any good father would do. But I really don't think it's likely to happen. She is very clever, we all know that much. I have faith in her abilities.”

Then he kissed Ed's cheek, then pulled Rose closer and kissed her too. Oswald lay warm between the two people he loved and smiled, wishing he could banish their worries.

“We mustn't worry. Lilly knows what she's doing. She's like me – but sharper, and a much more careful planner than I was at her age. We must learn to trust her in these matters. She has her own way of doing things. These elaborate games are her signature, just her method of dispatching those who need to be eliminated. ”

“I hope you're right,” Rose said as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest.

As she lay there, she didn't want him to see tears in her eyes; thinking on all he had just said, it scared her more than she could describe to imagine the very worst case scenario, Lilly becoming a suspect and her husband taking the fall for her. She knew he would do it if he had to, he would do that for any of his kids if they were in trouble, but she couldn't bear the thought of it, her Oswald locked away for the rest of his days...

_ Please don't get caught, Lilly, _ she said silently as she thought on the uncertain dangers that lurked around the corner of a future that was suddenly cast in doubt...

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 

Lilly wasted no time making her plans. Now it was time for her Uncle Ed to step in and land a hand; Later, while the authorities believed they were hunting a serial killer, no one would suspect there would be solid, personal reasons for such sickening killings, nor would they believe the Gotham Jigsaw was more than one person, acting together...

A week after the attempted shooting, after deciding the would be murderer's own meat processing plant would be the perfect location for the playing of the game, it was set up. Ed took great joy in assisting Lilly in making the arrangements. He even suggested the amusing scenario that would come before the main event, and Lilly's eyes lit up with glee at the thought of it.

When the game was almost ready, they stood in the main processing area of the plant and Lilly smiled as her eyes glittered darkly.

“I do believe we are ready to begin.”

“It's all set up as it needs to be,” Ed assured her, “Those maps and plans you drew out were superb, Lilly!”

She glanced at Ivan, who looked on nervously.

“Don't worry, we won't get caught... we should go through to the control room now....” she began to walk away, then she suddenly turned back as her eyes shone with pure excitement.

“My first game!” she exclaimed, “This is _so_ exciting!”

Lilly led the way, entering a small room where monitors had been rigged to other equipment. Her Uncle Ed had already gone through how to work everything on this table, he had made sure when her voice came through it would sound distorted. She would not be identifiable...

The door closed behind them and she reached out with a gloved hand, those gloves were black leather and bore an umbrella logo.

“Those are Oswald's gloves.”

“Yes Uncle Ed, he let me borrow them.”

Ed started reminding her of the equipment and how it worked. Ivan looked on in silence, his only concern for Lilly. He had to make sure she got away with it. He loved her, maybe she knew it, maybe she didn't. But he would protect her with his life if this situation turned dangerous...

Ed checked his watch and glanced to a caged area where the man who had tried to have her killed was clinging to the bars, his face and shirt was bloody. He had put up a struggle on capture, but now he was trapped...

“Show time, young Lilly!” said Ed as his eyes sparkled and he thought about the horror that was to come.

She looked to the cage on the first monitor, then activated the microphone and adjusted the voice changer. She cast a glance to Ed then Ivan, with a big smile on her face, then she stepped closer and began to speak:

“Damon Maxen, you are a cold and selfish man whose actions have gone beyond wrecking the lives of others for your greed. Now you choose to try attempted murder to gain power. It seems you value life very poorly. Today that will change. You now have the opportunity to re-evaluate your own moral standpoint and test your will to survive...” Lilly hit mute and looked from Ed to Ivan, “I've always wanted to say this!” she said, then hit the button again and added, _“I would like to play a game...”_

“Let me go you sick fucker!” yelled her prisoner.

“Your first challenge begins when the cage door opens,” said Lilly, “You must follow the signs on the wall and locate your security staff. One of them has the key to your freedom. But you must kill them all before retrieving the key, making yourself a murderer in the process. Failure to do so will see you go on to a far more deadly challenge. The game begins now.”

She hit mute, then turned a dial and the cage door slid open. She watched the monitors as he began to run down a corridor, following the arrows spray painted on to the walls.

“Does he get points if he doesn't shoot them?” Ivan wondered.

Lilly and Ed exchanged a glance and a smile.

“Of course not, he's doomed!” Ed replied, and he and Lilly chuckled...

 

Back at the Cobblepot estate, the mood was quiet. Rose and Gertrude were at home, silently thinking about Lilly and her first elaborate kill.

“She knows what she's doing,” Rose said as she glanced from the sofa to the chair by the fire where Gertrude sat knitting, “She's got Ed there to help her.”

Just then fifteen year old Eddie, who had been hanging out with his older brother upstairs, came dashing down the stairs after him.

“Where are you going? And why can't I come with you?”

Ozzie put his phone in his pocket.

“Because it's a date. Don't wait up!”

Then he hurried out the door and moments later the roar of his sports car firing into life sounded on the driveway, before he took off at speed.

As Eddie came into the front room, Gertrude shot Rose a look, reminding her,  _ not a word in front of Eddie _ , then she spoke up.

“Where is your brother going at such a late hour?”

Eddie, who was growing up to greatly resemble his father, gave a shrug.

“I have no idea. We were playing on the X box and then he got a message on his phone, then he sent one back and suddenly he's dropped the game and he's talking to someone and then he says he has to go. Thanks a lot, Ozzie!”

And I guess I cant go home yet, either?” he wondered.

“Your Dad's spending a couple of hours with your Mom tonight,” Rose reminded him.

He sank back against a soft sofa and gave a sigh.

“Then I'll just stay here for a while longer. Where's my Dad tonight?”

Rose and Gertrude exchanged a glance.

“I think Ed said something about working late. Oswald had some stuff to finish at the oil company and he was tired so Ed said he'd do it for him.”

Gertrude glanced at Rose and smiled,  _ yes, that was a good excuse... _

“I'm bored,” Eddie stated. Then he reached for the remote control, turned on the TV and settled back on the sofa for a while.

 

Over at Ivy's house, the bedroom light was turned down to a dim glow and Oswald was on his back, stripped to the waist as Ivy ran her hands over his shoulders, giving him a gentle massage.

“You feel so tense!”

“That's why I came over.”

She looked down at him, meeting his gaze.

“I'm worried about her too.”

Oswald looked up at her defiantly.

“I am not worried about Lilly! She's capable!”

“Yeah, capable of a lot of things,” Ivy added, “If she gets caught -”

“She won't get caught, she's too clever!” Oswald insisted.

“I think she's a little crazier than us,” Ivy admitted, “I mean, in the old days, it was kill or be killed sometimes. We've all been there. But she's choosing to do this.”

“She's simply putting her own brand on to her necessary killings,” he replied, “And Ed is helping her. She also has Ivan. She's protected.”

Ivy slid down beside him and as her hair trailed soft across his chest, he felt the start of arousal as he was instantly reminded of their first time together, his first time, the night Lilly had been conceived all those years before. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.

“I think she's the best of us.”

Now Ivy couldn't help but smile too.

“The best of two people like us... oh god, what a thought! But at least that means she's a survivor.”

“She's going to live a long life,” Oswald told her, “She's tough.”

Ivy' gaze filled with fondness.

“Like her father,” she said softly, and then she drew him closer and they shared a kiss that for now, banished all worries they had for Lilly on this night of her first deadly game.

 

Back at the factory, Lilly's victim had found four tied up security guards, they were all bound and gagged and as he yelled at them, demanding to have the key, Lilly watched through the monitor and shook her head.

“He really is a dumb ass,” she remarked as he picked up a gun from the floor, stood back and shot all four men dead. Then he searched the bodies.

“Dumb ass!” Lilly said again, then she activated the microphone:

“You have failed,” she announced, “You should have searched the men before shooting them. Then you would have realised this was a trick. You were aware you could have spared their lives and taken on a greater challenge. By the way, also be aware that there is a separate camera in this room. You have been filmed shooting your tied up security staff. The tape has no audio. If you survive, you will be branded a murderer. Now you will go on, to your final test.” 

She hit a button and the door behind him sealed shut, leaving no option but to follow the arrows along the corridor. He was staggering along, pausing to curse at his unseen captor, as Lilly watched on the screen with a bemused expression in her eyes.

The route led to the main part of the processing plant, and as he stumbled out on to the factory floor, he looked in horror at the arrows indicating to the ladder beside a large grinding machine.

“You will stand on top of the sealed machine,” Lilly ordered.

He obeyed her, his bloody hands slipping on the metal rungs of the ladder as he made his way up. When he was finally on top of the machine, she spoke again.

“You must find the key and turn off the machine,” Lilly instructed, and then she smiled as she joyfully hit a button and the metal cover divided, sending him plunging into the machinery. The monitor switched to an inside view, where lights came on as further down the great metallic monster, machinery began to kick into life.

“ _No!”_ he screamed, _“Turn it off, I'm begging you!”_

“Find the key,” Lilly instructed, “If you put your arm through the narrow gap in the side of the machinery, you will find a key on a piece of string....”

He turned his head, looking down a narrow shaft where just within reaching distance, hung a key that would slot into machinery just above his head, deactivating the machine. Then a timer lit up.

“You will have noticed the path to the key is filled with razor sharp blades,” Lilly added, “How badly do you want to live? You have sixty seconds...”

Then she killed the audio again as Ed hit some buttons to activate the machinery as the power crept closer and the victim trapped inside began to panic.

“Thanks, Uncle Ed,” Lilly said, “I wasn't sure if it was the red button or the blue one...”

“You're just excited, Lilly! It's your first game!” he replied.

Lilly watched on the screen as her victim plunged his hand into the razor lined gap, then screamed and pulled his arm out again, flesh was shredded, blood was flowing and the clock was counting down. He did it again, grabbed the key then ripped his arm free, as razor sliced down to bone and blood began to spurt, coating the inside of the machine crimson, as his screaming became high pitched. The timer was on the last five seconds. His hand was shaking as he tried to raise the key, and then he dropped it. As he fell to his knees, the timer hit zero and the rolling machinery beneath him began to draw him in, as he screamed and the shredder got to work, tearing flesh and crushing bone. As his body was drawn in, there was a  _ splat  _ and the camera splashed with blood, then his skull was crushed and the machinery turned off.

Lilly leaned on her cane and turned away from the screen.

“Thank you for your help tonight gentleman, it's been a great success!” she said in triumph, then she hugged Ed, but as she turned to Ivan and gave him a hug too, Ivan's embrace lingered. As she drew away from him, his face flushed and she had a questioning look in her eyes.

“You're awesome, Lilly,” Ivan said quietly.

She was about to respond when Ed said they should pack away the equipment and leave. He was already disconnecting the sound and audio equipment.

“I'll be back to clean the room once you're both in the car,” he added, “We'll be out of here by three am. I'm leaving the death room as it is. That was a spectacular kill.”

“And my enemy is eliminated!” Lilly added, then she hobbled from the room as Ivan followed her and Ed carried on clearing away the monitors and sound equipment.

 

Far across town, Ozzie had parked his car in a rough area and paid two armed women stood outside one of the better houses in the street to guard his vehicle. He walked up to the front door and knocked. It was answered by another woman, with spiked hair and a grimy face.

“I'm Penguin's son,” he said, and she looked him up and down and smirked.

“Firefly says you can go up,” she replied, and Ozzie hurried up the staircase clutching a bouquet of red roses.

In the hallway, there was an armed guard who indicated to a closed door at the bottom of the upper hall, and he walked down towards it and then stopped outside, took a deep breath and tapped on the door.

“Come in,” Bridgit said.

Ozzie went in and closed the door behind him.

The room was cast in shadow, the furniture was faded but comfortable, any hint of luxury about this bedroom had long since worn dull. There were no mirrors, either.

She was sitting by the window, in the semi darkness he could just about make out the shape of her and catch sight of those eyes that had captured his heart. The room was full of the scent of roses. They were everywhere in vases placed about the room – he had sent her flowers every day since trying to persuade her to consider dating him. Since she had been working with Lilly on her fire phobia, he had not missed any of her visits. She wasn't like the other women he had dated, but that didn't put him off. He didn't see the scars, he just saw her beautiful eyes and heard the softness of her voice. He didn't doubt the guards who had let him come up here had giggled after he walked away, saying  _ that's the guy who keeps sending Firefly roses... _

“Thank you for finally agreeing to meet with me,” he said, taking a seat at a table and looking across the room to where she sat alone.

Then she turned up the dim lighting a fraction. Her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, her face was exposed but the rest of her body was covered in a white gown that ran from her neck to her ankles. The sleeves were long too, showing only her hands. Like her face, they were marked with old scars.

“Ozzie,” she said softly, “I don't doubt you see something in me – but what it is, I can't imagine. There's not much of me to find attractive. You're wasting your time.”

He refused to give up.

“Don't talk about yourself like that,” he said as determination burned in his eyes, “I'm almost twenty years old. But as the son of the owner of an oil company, I can assure you I've had a lot of experience. I've known some very beautiful girls. Girls with perfect skin. But none of them compare to you. I've never lost sleep over them, I've never felt so deeply for anyone before I laid eyes on you!”

Pain reflected in her gaze as she forced a smile.

“Maybe you just found out you have a thing for freaks, Ozzie.”

Anger sparked in his gaze and in that moment, he reminded her of his father in the old days.

“ _A freak?”_ he fumed, “Bridgit, you're _not_ a freak!”

Then he blinked away tears. He had not expected this to be so difficult; to find this amazing woman loathed herself so much pained his own heart.

Bridgit paused to gather her thoughts.

“When I was burned, my suit melted into my flesh, Ozzie. _My flesh melted_. Think about it. I am not just covered in scars, I don't have a body like other women. Most of my body is partially numb. This is why I've never had anyone close... intimately close. There would be no point.”

“But you've never tried.”

“ _And I never will.”_

Ozzie's voice shook with emotion.

“I won't give up on you. I'm crazy about you!”

“I was just a few years younger than you when I started working for your Dad as an enforcer,” she said, “You're nineteen years old. I'm in my thirties now. And I still work as Firefly. I'm a freak for hire. It's all I can ever be.”

Ozzie fondly recalled his own family past.

“My father was like you, in his thirties, with no experience of intimacy – then he met Ivy, she was my age. They had my sister Lilly together. Don't tell me the age gap matters, that's bullshit and we both know it.”

“And I was your father's enforcer. I think he wants better for his son than the likes of me.”

“My father speaks highly of you.”

She shook her head.

“He wouldn't if he thought we were involved together. I don't belong in your nice world, Ozzie.”

He gave a sigh, but smiled at her as he shook his head.

“I think my Dad would understand. There are similarities here that compare to him and Ivy. He's a very open minded man, too. He's not going to object. So what's your next excuse?”

“Your Mother would certainly object.”

“No, she wouldn't.”

Bridgit fell silent. Ozzie got up and walked over to her, then he drew a small item from his pocket and stood beside her.

“I want to show you something.”

He turned it around. It was a small mirror, and she caught her breath on seeing her scarred face, but he held it steady, reflecting her eyes.

“ _I just wanted to show you the woman I'm falling in love with,”_ he said softly, _“She's incredible and her name is Bridgit. And I really think I could make her happy if she just had the courage to give me a chance.”_

Bridgit was still looking into the mirror as he spoke again.

“Growing up in my family has taught me a lot, and it's nothing to do with the past or with crime. It's something else: When I was born, my father was dangerously ill. He almost lost his life. And you know a few years back my Uncle Ed got shot – that was a very close call. When my baby sister was born, my Mom had complications and came close to death. All of this has taught me not to waste time because life is unpredictable. We don't know what's around the corner, that's why we should make the most of every moment! I don't believe in wasting chances, because they may never come again!”

Bridgit put the mirror down and turned her head and looked up at him. Ozzie pulled out a seat and sat beside her, looking intently into her eyes.

“Please, Bridgit? Just give me a chance. I ache to hold you. I can't sleep at night for thinking about you! I mean what I say, so please, take pity on me!”

Bridgit fell silent, then she looked into the eyes of the strange man who found her so desirable, and she shook her head.

“You must be crazy!”

He smiled as his eyes sparkled with amusement.

“My last name is Cobblepot, so I'm sure there's some crazy in there somewhere!”

She laughed. Ozzie was hard to turn down. He was the first person who had ever tried to get over the high walls she had built around herself. And like he said, no one should waste time, because no one knew what the future held... She felt a flicker of courage and got up, then she went over to the door and locked it and then returned and stood before him.

“I'm pretty sure you'll change your mind once you see all of me” she said, “But if this makes or breaks it, so be it. I'm expecting you to look at me in disgust, go out the door and forget this _thing_ you have for me. It's probably for the best, then you can find yourself a normal woman.”

She took a step backwards toward her bed. Her hand shook as she reached around the back of her dress and unzipped it. Then, with her gaze locked with his to catch his reaction, she tugged at the garment and let it fall to the floor.

Ozzie was still looking into her eyes. Then his gaze shifted down her body, then back up again. She had not been exaggerating, her skin was covered with a fine layer of burns, scar tissue that covered even the more delicate parts of her flesh. Her breasts were round but smooth and covered with tiny scars, but the sight of her body marked by damage did nothing to repel him as he reached for her, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently sweeping his touch down her arms.

“I can barely feel that,” she said, then she blinked away tears, “It's okay if you want to leave. Don't make this about sympathy. That would be the very worst thing to do.”

Passion burned in Ozzie's eyes.

“ _Oh Bridgit,”_ he whispered softly, as he spoke from his heart, _“I adore you!”_

As he drew her into his arms, their lips touched and he kissed her for the first time.

 

By the time Oswald returned to the house, Ed had called to say they were on their way home. All had gone well. The man who had tried to kill Lilly was dead, and Lilly was on a high from her first execution. He assured him no evidence had been left behind, then the call ended.

“She's fine,” Oswald said as he put the phone down, and Rose and Gertrude exchanged a relieved glance.

“And now I shall be off to bed,” Gertrude said, and she got up, paused to kiss her son's cheek, and then left the room.

“Ozzie's late tonight,” Rose remarked.

Oswald was leaning on his cane standing beside the fire, and on hearing those words, he laughed.

“By the way he took off I'm guessing we won't see him again until morning. He's out having a good time.”

Rose frowned.

“Not exactly the kind of good time Lilly was having.”

“They couldn't be more different,” he replied as she walked over to join him, “He's a romantic soul and she's … _she's Lilly_.”

“Lilly who enjoys killing a little too much?” Rose suggested.

As he looked at her, she caught a shade of the same darkness in her husband's eyes that often reflected in Lilly's gaze.

“None of us are perfect, Rose,” he reminded her darkly, “I didn't get where I am in life by being nice.”

Just then, Ed walked in. He had a big smile on his face and a dark sparkle in his eyes.

“It was a good night!”

“Messy?” Oswald asked.

“Only for the victim. The body was in the meat grinder. It will be a spectacular scene when the cops are called in!”

“Where's Lilly?” he asked.

“Outside with Ivan, she's stopping by for a drink before she goes home.”

Oswald hobbled over to the drinks cabinet and took out a bottle and some glasses.

“What a good idea! She should celebrate tonight!”

 

Outside they stood by the parked car, Ivan was beside Lilly as she leaned on her cane. In the moonlight her face looked pale as a vampire.

“You said something odd to me tonight,” she remarked.

“Odd?”

“Yes Ivan, _odd._ You said I was awesome and you hugged me a little too long.”

Ivan felt caught out.

“Can you blame me?”

“I don't understand.”

He looked into her ice blue eyes. He wanted to say,  _ I love you, Lilly, I always have, _ but the words would not come, that icy gaze of hers had just poured water as cold as the Gotham river on to his feelings.

“Well?” she demanded, raising a dark eyebrow, “Say something, Ivan?”

“We should go inside, it's getting late,” he reminded her.

Ivy leaned on her cane and headed for the house, and Ivan hurried to catch up, still with unsaid words burning in his mind as he wondered if they would go unsaid forever.

 

As Lilly entered the front room, Oswald hugged his daughter, then handed her a glass of champagne and made a toast to her. Lilly looked radiant as she described the execution of the man who tried to have her killed. Then Oswald told her he was proud of her and as father and daughter exchanged a smile, they shared the same dark shine in their eyes.

“Yes, Lilly was magnificent,” Ivan added, then, grasping his courage at last, stepped closer to her and kissed her cheek.

“Well done,” he added, and stepped back again.

Her gloved hand flew to her face, touching the spot where his lips had brushed her cheek. She was staring at him. When Lilly stared, it was hard to know if it was a good or a bad thing...

She took off her gloves and handed them back to her father.

“Thank you for letting me wear your gloves tonight, Dad,” she said, “They fit me perfectly and I felt as if I had good luck charm.”

“You'll never need to rely on luck, my dear,” Oswald promised her.

“And there will be no more killings of this nature until I come across a case where these actions are justified,” she added, “Often, when a person stirs trouble in the underworld, a simple bullet to the head is enough. But now and then, when the very worst kind of person is brought to my attention they _will_ play my games – providing I can justify such torture.”

“A wise decision,” Oswald agreed, “You couldn't play the game too often – it takes planning and careful thought.”

Oswald cast his mind back to when Lilly was a kid and she had tried to kill Ivan over Ed's shooting, and he had pretended he was going to have her put away in Arkham to teach her a lesson. She had certainly learned from that day; she put careful thought into all acts of retribution, she had to be sure before she made drastic decisions, he was glad about that, careful thought would be a tool that would keep her alive in a sometimes deadly world...

Rose finished her drink and then picked up the empty glasses and took them through to the kitchen. In the front room, as Oswald sat down on the sofa, Ed sat beside him and draped an arm over the back of his seat and smiled as he met his gaze.

“And what did you get up to while I was away?” he said with a wink, “Did Ivy get rid of those aches and pains for you?”

“Oh shut up Uncle Ed!” Lilly exclaimed, and then she giggled, “Don't talk about that in front of me, I don't care how old I am now, I do _not_ need to know these things!”

Oswald looked at his daughter with a sparkle in his eyes.

“You Mother has always been good with my leg. And my back... and my shoulders!”

“Dad, shut up!” she laughed again, and so did her father.

“Do you get much pain with your leg, Lilly?” Ivan asked casually.

She turned her head and looked at him.

“Us Kapelputs can handle pain. I cope, thank you.”

“Yes of course,” Ivan said, “I think you told me that once before. How stupid of me to forget,” and he looked down at the carpet.

Ed had caught that exchange of words, and silently felt sorry for Ivan. The poor guy was crazy about Lilly and all she did was freeze him out every single time...Then Rose returned to the room, put the booze away and asked if anyone wanted coffee, because it was getting late.

 

Far away on the other side of town, as a loud cry came from the bedroom of Firefly, the female guard on the upper floor raced to the rescue, kicking in the door with a crash and lurching into the room with a machine gun. Then her jaw dropped.

“It's okay, he's not killing me!” Bridgit said, laughing as Ozzie came up from under the covers, then he dragged the covers up to her shoulders, remembering to conceal the burns she felt so uneasy about.

She closed her shaking legs and held on to the covers as she sat up beside him and they both laughed. The guard's jaw was still dropped as she stared at the sight of the two of them in bed.

“I'm sorry, Firefly...” she stammered as her face flushed.

Bridgit laughed again and her eyes shone with happiness. It was a look she had never seen before in the eyes of the usually quiet woman who was always alone.

“That's okay,” she replied, “Just close the door on your way out... and get that lock fixed tomorrow!”

“Yes, I will, and again, I'm sorry for bursting in like this...”

The guard left the room and closed the door.

Ozzie pulled Bridgit down and turned on his side and kissed her, then they laughed together again.

“Oh my god, she thought I was killing you!” Ozzie exclaimed.

“I know!”

As he looked at her, he thought about the moment they had just shared.

“You've really never... I mean, no one's ever done that to you before?”

She shook her head.

“I didn't even know I could feel anything... _there_. As for making love, never – until now.”

Ozzie hesitated, then asked a question.

“So I was your first?”

“Yes.”

“Was it...okay?”

She laughed again and as he heard her laughter, he felt the love in his heart go deeper.

“What's this? Ozzie Cobblepot the player wants me to grade his performance?” she joked.

But he didn't laugh. As he ran his fingers through her hair, he looked deeply into her eyes and spoke the truth.

“Those days are over,” he vowed, “I was searching for the right one. I've found her now. You may not believe me yet, but I'll prove it to you.”

Then he pulled her into his arms, kissing her again as they rolled beneath sheets and their bodies warmed together by closeness made them feel as if all their differences didn't matter – it all faded away to insignificance when they were here, like this, belonging to each other.

 

Back at the Cobblepot residence, Lilly was about to leave and go home for the night. Oswald hugged his daughter again and told her she had made a great success of eliminating her enemy. Then Rose left the room, and Ed looked fondly at Oswald.

“Come on, sweetheart, it's late - time for bed,” he reminded him, and he noticed a flicker of pain in his eyes as he got up and leaned heavy on his cane. His damaged leg was hurting again, the pain was flaring up.

“Need some help?” he offered as he laughed softly, “You know I'm happy to oblige. Anything to get my hands on you!”

“I'm fine, Ed,” he replied, then he headed for the stairs and Ed followed.

Ivan turned to Lilly.

“Would you like me to walk you home?”

She rolled her eyes.

“I think I know where my house is, Ivan! Goodnight.”

Then she turned away left the room, as Ivan gave a heavy sigh. It was impossible. Lilly would never notice him, not in the way he wanted her to...

Then he heard a heavy thump on the stairs.

“ _Oswald?”_ Ed said, sounding alarmed. 

Ivan ran to the bottom of the stairway, as Lilly came back, calling to her Dad as she leaned hard on her cane and hurried to join them. Rose had run out of the bedroom and was making her way down the staircase. Oswald had fallen on the stairs, he was sitting up now as Ed kept a hand on his shoulder to steady him, he looked pale and shaken as he rubbed cautiously at his damaged leg. Blood ran from his nose and his face looked bruised.

“I'm okay, it's just my damned leg again... it just gave way, it's agony tonight.”

“Can you stand?” Rose asked, and he nodded, then with her help as Ed also supported him, they got him to his feet. He could barely stand as he put weight on his crippled leg again.

“I'll be okay, pain pills and rest will fix it,” Oswald said, wiping his bloody nose on the back of his hand.

“Dad?”

He looked back at Lilly.

“Don't worry about me. This leg has given me nothing but trouble for years. It's the only part of me that ages, I have little to complain about, my dear.”

He forced a smile, but one look at him told her he was still in pain.

As Rose and Ed helped him up the stairs, Lilly stood there beside Ivan, watching as they helped him to the the top and then went down the upper hallway. As they made their way towards the main bedroom, Lilly heard a brief conversation.

“I really think it's time you considered a wheelchair, at least for times when the pain flares up,” Ed told him.

“No, I can still manage with my cane!” Oswald insisted.

Lilly heard the door close, and she was still looking up the stairs as her hand connected with Ivan's.

“ _Come with me,”_ she said in a hushed voice, _“Come outside with me, Ivan.”_

He looked down and could hardly believe it:

_ Lilly was clutching his hand. It was like the beginning of an impossible dream, had the ice maiden finally melted?  _ His heart was pounding as they walked through the house and left by the back door, and his hand was still tight in Lilly's grip.

 

When they stood alone together on the path that led to Ivy's place, Lilly was still holding his hand. Then she stopped and turned to him. He felt struck by the strangeness of her beauty by moonlight, but then she let go of his hand, and what she said next cancelled out any hopes and dreams he kept hidden in his heart. She blinked away tears as pain and anger filled her eyes.

“Once again my Father is suffering the pain of his broken bones!” she said bitterly, “My poor Dad, my earliest memory is seeing him suffer!”

“That's because he was sick and your Mom found a cure,” Ivan reminded her.

As a tear ran down her face, she shook her head.

“But she couldn't fix his shattered leg! He's going to be in pain forever, Ivan! My Dad will soon need a wheelchair because of the damage – it's so bad even my Mom can't cure it! He's going to hurt forever and he doesn't deserve that!”

She blinked and more tears fell, then a cold darkness glittered in her ice blue gaze.

“I have a task for you, Ivan... She's been missing for years – but missing doesn't mean dead in this town, she's hiding somewhere. I doubt someone of her former power would leave the city forever... And she did this to him, now she will answer to _me_!”

Ivan looked at her in confusion.

“You're talking about the woman who broke his bones years ago? She could be anywhere now...”

“No, Ivan,” Lilly said firmly, “No body was recovered - she's alive and she's somewhere in Gotham!”

“What about asking your Dad first? Didn't he used to be close to her?”

“He can't have feelings for the woman who caused him such harm! He hates her, I am certain of it!”

“What do you want me to do?” Ivan asked in a hushed voice.

There was a murderous glare in Lilly's eyes as she gave him her answer:

“Find her and bring her to me, Ivan! _There's going to be another game. She will answer to the Gotham Jigsaw - Fish Mooney must be punished!_ ”

 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Rose:

_I always had a feeling Lilly would mess up one day. She had been so careful with her plans that when she announced there would be another game – so soon after the last - I felt strangely uneasy. She also told her Uncle Ed this game would not require his help with the set up. She said this was a special one, and that the victim of the captive would ultimately be given the choice to allow the prisoner to live or die... And then she went silent on the matter. Which was odd, because Lilly had been so excited over her first deadly game...Around this time, Ivan spent a great deal of time away from the house - he was working for Lilly, he said, and it involved some research..._

_The pain that had flared up in my husband's leg eased off again. It seemed he was right, there would be times when he needed to rest, but he wasn't going to give in to it. My husband had been right when he said he could cope – he had been through far worse in his lifetime and I didn't doubt he would manage just fine, using that cane forever._

_Ozzie was absent from the house almost every night. When he was home, I'd never seen him happier. Oswald gave me a knowing look and said he was pretty sure he had found himself a lovely woman. He said it like he had an idea who she was and when I asked him about it, he just smiled and told me to wait and see – but he was rarely wrong about these things..._

_But while Ozzie's life was going great, Lilly's life was plunged into secrecy. Ivy asked her about her plans for this new game, and she shook her head and said nothing was final yet. Even her own mother couldn't get the truth out of her. What happened next would prove my worst fears right. Lilly did mess up, and in the worst possible way, and all because she loved her father and wanted to right an old wrong...It's not that she didn't put careful thought into the matter, it was the fact that she got clumsy. She left evidence at the scene..._

 

When Lilly got the call she had been at home, then she had hurried to the greenhouse where her brother Eddie was helping his mother, and told Ivy she had to go out. 

“What's this about?” Ivy had said, feeling a sense of unease.

“Just business,” Lilly had replied, then she had left. Moments later, she was in her car and driving away from the estate at speed...

As she drove, she called her father. The phone rang and then he answered.

“Daddy!” she said urgently.

“Is something wrong, Lilly?” Oswald sounded worried.

“No, not wrong... just urgent. It's a matter of _great_ urgency! I'm going to give you an address, it's an old abandoned factory... you need to be there. You will want to see this when you know who I've found!”

“Lilly?” Oswald demanded, “Who are you talking about? What are you up to?”

She gave him the address and told him to hurry, to be there within the hour, and then she ended the call. Her father called back twice, but she didn't answer and just let the phone ring, knowing he couldn't have his big surprise until he arrived and saw who she was holding captive.

She reached the old factory, parked around the back, got out of the car and put on her father's leather gloves, then she began to unpack the audio and visual equipment needed to hide her identity. As she worked, a smile crept to her face:

_After years of suffering pain because of that woman's cruelty, she was sure her Dad would be thrilled to see Fish take her last breath..._

 

Lilly hurried to a small room where she began to set up the equipment. It was hard to adjust the sound level, so she took off one of her father's gloves, left it on the table and then carried on with the set up. She was then joined by Ivan, who greeted her with a smile.

“She's cuffed, the cuffs are rigged to the power supply until the current is shit off, and the lights are ready to activate. First shock will be mild, the next will be more severe. She's up on the platform, tied to a chair... will she take that final shock when three lights hit red, or not?” he said with a smirk on his face.

“Ultimately that will be my Dad's decision,” Lilly replied, and she looked to a lever on the wall: The upper end was marked _Live,_ the lower marked _Die..._

Lilly looked to the screen, it showed a view of the room beyond, where Fish Mooney was tied up and cuffed and the cuffs were rigged to a power supply. She was waking up now, she was fifteen feet from the ground on a raised, narrow platform and she looked down at the sheer drop in terror. She looked about the room, anger and fear burning in her brown and blue eyes.

“ _Who are you?”_ she yelled, _“I demand you let me go! I will kill you for this!”_

Lilly adjusted the sound equipment.

“Fish Mooney, for many years you ruled Gotham with sheer brutality. You have taken many lives – and affected the lives of others. Some, you have crippled and condemned to a lifetime of pain and suffering. Now it is your turn to feel defenceless, alone and afraid, and to experience pain at the hands of another.”

Beneath her silken gown, her chest rose and fell heavily in rising panic as she looked left and right and saw no one.

“ _Who the hell are you?”_ she screamed in anger.

“I am the Gotham Jigsaw,” came the reply.

On hearing those words, her defiance crumbled and she started to shake and then gave a sob.

“ _Please... I have nothing, NOTHING! I lost everything, money, power, influence... my people deserted me! Have mercy!”_

“But you chose to show no mercy,” the voice replied, “On many occasions. If you look the wall, you will see there is a device. It contains five lights. Each failure to answer, or deliberate avoidance of a question, will send an electric shock through your cuffs. Each shock will be increasingly painful. If three lights turn red, the game is over. But your fate lies in the hands of another, one you wronged long ago. They shall decide if you live, or die. If you live, the platform will slide away and you will fall, tied to that chair, land hard and know the agony of shattered bones. But if it is decided you will die, you will be given a final, fatal electrical shock. We will begin shortly. I suggest you compose yourself and be ready to answer my questions truthfully.”

Lilly shut off the audio and checked her watch.

“Where the hell is my Dad?”

Just then the door opened and Oswald hobbled in.

“I was stuck in traffic, what's this about Lilly?” then his gaze shifted to the screen and he saw her and his eyes went wide.

“ _Fish!?_ he said in horror.

“That's right, Dad. I have the one who condemned you to a lifetime of pain. She's going to answer some questions, then you get to decide her fate.”

She looked to the lever on the wall. Oswald looked sharply at the labels that said _ Live  _ and  _ Die, _ then he turned back to Lilly in alarm.

“ _Stop the game!”_

She stared at him.

“I can't stop the game. She can't be released until the lights have been activated – it's a fail-safe to stop her trying to escape.”

Oswald's face had paled.

“And that is an ingenious plan but Lilly, I don't think you understand...” he hesitated, looking into his daughter's eyes. Now he regretted not finding the right moment to tell her the whole story about him and Fish and how things were not as clear cut as she believed them to be... this would be awkward. He swallowed hard, then took a deep breath as his face began to flush.

“We were lovers!”

“But she beat you -”

“ _It was a bondage relationship!”_

Lilly blinked, then she shook her head.

“No... you snitched on her because she treated you like shit and she beat and crippled you, Dad! Oh god, you can't accept the truth because she abused you so badly!”

Oswald was close to losing his temper. He took in a tight breath and glared at Lilly.

“No, my little _psychopath offspring_ , she beat me for _betraying_ her! The rest of it was _fun!_ I used to fall to my knees and kiss her shoes, she used to tease me, turn me on, sometimes demand sexual favours and I loved every moment of it, she was my _lover!_ ”

“Her _shoes?_ ” Lilly repeated as she looked at him in a mix of disgust and alarm, “Why would someone do that to shoes? Eww... no, just no.... nope, I do _not_ want to hear this, Dad!”

“I liked the power she held over me, I even recreated it with your Mom and your Aunt Rose and it blew my mind! A lot of what happened with me and Fish years ago was _consensual_ , Lilly!”

“Oh shut up Dad, that's gross!”

Oswald glared at her.

“ _Let Fish go!”_

“I can't. The lights have be activated. We have to continue. This is why I wanted you here. Once the lights are on, you can pull the lever and choose Live or Die.”

“Obviously I shall choose _Live_ ,” Oswald said as he went over the the switch and stood beside it, still glaring at his daughter, “I would choose nothing less for her!”

Lilly's eyes reflected apology, yet at the same time, anger over the past and the harm done to her father still lingered as she spoke again.

“You may not feel that way when she's answered my questions,” she replied, then she glanced to Ivan and back to her father, “I'm activating audio. Everyone be quiet or we could all wind up in Arkham for this!”

Then she turned on the microphone.

“You have been brought here to answer for your crimes, and your honesty in this matter will help determine your fate. Fish Mooney, I would like to play a game. Your life depends on the answers you give.”

There was an electrical hum that kicked in sharply and five yellow lights lit up on the wall beside her. She looked to the lights, then back to face the front, seeing no one as she waited for the voice to speak again.

“Your first question regards your use of violence. Did you enjoy harming others while you were all powerful?”

“No, I did not!” she said defiantly.

A shock coursed down the metal cuffs and she screamed as her back arched and the chair wobbled dangerously on the narrow platform. She gave a gasp and looked down, breaking into a sweat as the pain faded out.

“Answer truthfully,” the voice demanded.

“ _Yes!”_ she yelled, _“Yes I enjoyed it! I was all powerful back then!”_

The first light turned red.

“ _I told the truth!”_ she cried in anger.

“Only under duress. I expect your next answer to be honestly spoken or the next shock will be far worse. Do you regret killing any of your enemies?”

“No!” she said firmly, “I had to survive, no I do _not_ regret that!”

A green light came on. Fish hoped the next one would be green, too. She was determined to win this game and save her life even if she had to be open about secrets no one had a right to know...

Behind the closed door, Lilly glanced to her father who was looking intently at the screen, then she spoke into the microphone again:

“Did you enjoy dominating others?”

Fish struggled with the answer as she thought abut the question. She was also thinking about that next electric shock, too.

“Yes, my enemies... I enjoyed dominating them. Also lovers...who wanted to be owned. _So yes, yes I did!_ ”

A green light came on and she breathed a relieved sigh.

“My next question must be answered without hesitation or excuse. _Did you ever deliberately harm someone you loved?_ ”

As she asked that question Oswald's eyes widened as he stared at the screen, watching Fish, who seemed stunned by the question. Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded.

“ _Yes, I did...He broke my heart! But if I could have that day back I never would have done what I did... and he will never know how sorry I am!”_

A green light came on. There was one question left. Oswald watched the screen in silence. Lilly spoke again, asking the last question.

“This man, the one you regret harming... what was his name?”

On the platform, Fish gave a sob. Tears ran down her face and as she spoke in answer, heartbreak sounded in her voice.

“ _His name was Oswald! And I loved him!”_

The final light was activated. Then as he heard her sobbing in the next room, Oswald leaned hard on his cane and pushed Lilly aside, dashing her hand from the controls as he killed the audio.

“I've been looking at this thing and I see how it works... you're _not_ dropping her fifteen feet, Lilly!”

He flipped a switch and the platform began to plunge downward, then as it dropped and Fish screamed, he reached for the lever and pushed it up to where the label said _ Live _ .

There was a crash from the next room. Oswald guessed as the platform had dropped hard, stopping it short of the ground had thrown her off still tied to the chair. He didn't know if she was knocked out, but even if she wasn't, there was no way he would leave her in a situation like this. He turned sharply to his daughter.

“You and Ivan clear up your equipment, clean the place and get rid of prints and then go home!”

“But Daddy I was trying to _help_ you!” Lilly was tearful.

“ _You should have asked me first!”_

“But you didn't tell me all about the stuff with you and Fish, I thought she was your enemy!”

“I thought so too,” Oswald replied as anger faded from his gaze, replaced with tearful emotion, “Until today. Now give me the keys to the cuffs, then get out of here - I'm going in there, I'm untying her and then I'm calling 911, she's hurt!”

“I'm sorry, Dad,” she said again, then Lilly handed him the keys, and then she and Ivan set to work.

Oswald opened up the door and hurried into the next room, where Fish was on her side, still tied to the chair. The fall had knocked her out cold. He unlocked the cuffs, untied her, then began to drag her from the room. She was still unconscious, and he hoped she would stay that way – if she saw his face, he didn't know how to begin to explain that he had happened to be there to save her from the Gotham Jigsaw...

 

By the time Lilly was in the car and Ivan had got in and started the engine, Oswald had taken Fish outside. He watched as Ivan drove his daughter away, then he carefully laid her on the ground close to an old, crumbling wall. He glanced up the street and saw a pay phone and hoped it was working. There was no way he would take a risk and call from his own cell phone...

As she drew in a breath and turned her head, Oswald carefully knelt beside her, and then he lifted her, pulling her into his arms and embracing her gently.

“Oh Fish,” he said tearfully, “Thank god you're okay...”

Then she opened her eyes and as she looked up at him and he looked down at her, it was as if the years had fallen away: Like himself, she had not showed signs of ageing. Any extra ability she had enjoyed thanks to the experiments of Hugo Strange had faded away long ago, but her youth had lasted.

“Oswald?” she whispered, “It can't be you... you don't look any older... how can that be?”

“A fortunate side effect,” he explained, “I was very ill twenty years ago. Ivy found a cure. And as much as I'd like to say you look wonderful, you've had a bad fall. I need to fetch help.”

Confusion reflected in her eyes. She still felt stunned from hitting the floor.

“Where's Jigsaw?” she said in alarm.

“Gone,” he replied, “I had a phone call, someone said he had Fish Mooney captive and gave me the address. And here I am, and just in time!”

“Did you see his face?” she asked weakly as her aching head began to throb.

“Unfortunately not,” Oswald replied, then as he carefully laid her down, he reached for his cane.

“Please, keep my name out of this. I will be in touch, Fish!”

“Oswald...” She tried to move but her body ached all over and her wrist felt fractured. She clasped at it as the pain throbbed bone deep, and turned her head in time to see her former umbrella boy hurrying off up the street as he leaned on his cane, heading for a pay phone.

But for all his efforts to shield his daughter, and in their haste to leave, Lilly had forgotten something, Ivan had not noticed either and Oswald had been too concerned with Fish to see the glaring mistake that would snare the Gotham Jigsaw:

_In her haste to leave, Lilly had forgotten her discarded glove. It was still on the table where she had left it..._

 

When the cops arrived on the scene, Jim Gordon was the first to take a look around. After the first bloody slaying that had hit the news with the media calling the murderer The Gotham Jigsaw, he had concluded that in this town, he never knew what would turn up next. There was always a new horror emerging from the shadows and that was another reason why he wanted to resist promotion and stay out there on the streets, where he was needed the most. But the Jigsaw crime, for Jim, was a strange mix indeed – and that was something he could only explain to The Jigsaw, when he caught up with him...

While officers were at the hospital waiting to interview Fish Mooney, so far the only surviving victim of the killer, other cops were searching the street outside and he had insisted on entering the building first, then on stumbling across the small room that led through to the place where a chair was on its side and discarded handcuffs were nearby, he sent the officers through to investigate the crime scene. His gaze fell on a table, where there lay a leather glove. He picked it up, saw the umbrella embroidered into the fabric and paused for thought. Suddenly, _something_ fell into place. He slipped the glove in his pocket and left the building, deep in thought...

 

Back at the Cobblepot mansion, Lilly had been waiting anxiously for her father to return. When Oswald walked in through the front door, she hurried up to him looking distraught.

“ _I'm so sorry!”_

“So you should be, young lady!” Oswald snapped, “You made a grave error today! Fish and I go back a long way. Some of it was bad, some of it was terrible but some of it was... something else entirely! I bear no grudge against her now.”

Lilly blinked away tears.

“But I see you hurting every day because of what she did to you!”

“And did you ever stop to think what I did to her?”

Lilly looked at him in confusion.

“I don't understand, Dad...”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“If life had happened differently, we could have gone so much further together. But she chose to treat me like something she scraped off her shoe – in _and_ out of the bedroom, so I betrayed her. I chose to see her as my way in to grab some power for myself. It was a good thing that went bad because of bad decisions by both of us, Lilly! As for what she did to me, I deserved it! I fully expected to be killed for betraying her!”

As Ed and Rose heard raised voices and came out into the hallway, they both stared at the sight of Oswald and Lilly quarrelling.

“What's going on?” Ed demanded.

“Lilly's latest player in the Jigsaw game was Fish!” Oswald said angrily.

Rose glared at Lilly.

“You should have asked your father first. He's got a history with her!”

“I didn't know!” she protested.

“The cops have spoken to Fish,” Oswald added, “And I've been to see her too. She doesn't know who abducted her -”

“That was me,” Ivan said as he stepped forward, “With chloroform.”

Oswald shook his head and then continued, “Thanks to the voice distortion she, like the rest of Gotham, thinks The Jigsaw is a man,” he turned to Lilly, “No more killings for a long while, unless you have a damned good reason and you run it all past me first!”

Lilly nodded.

“Yes, Dad,”she said quietly.

“Let me walk you home,” Ivan offered, and Lilly paused to give her father a brief hug as she apologised again, and then she walked away with Ivan.

 

Oswald headed off to the front room. By the time Rose and Ed had joined him, he was sat at the table with an open bottle in front of him and was pouring a large drink.

“ _You know I love you both.”_

He looked at them, and Rose and Ed exchanged a glance, confused at his sudden remark.

“Yes, we know,”Rose replied, “What does this have to do with Lilly's mistake?”

“Maybe you should be talking to her mother about this, not us?” Ed suggested.

“Did you know about this latest game?” Oswald was looking at him intently.

“She said she had plans but didn't specify,” Ed replied, “She told me it was simple and she didn't need help with this one.”

Oswald nodded, accepting his words, then he spoke up again, and they understood why he had mentioned love.

“Fish no longer feels safe where she's currently living. I can't tell her the truth about Lilly. No one outside of this family can ever know. Fish thinks the Gotham Jigsaw is still out there, and maybe some day, will find her again. So I'm going to get her a place outside of Gotham, I'm going to buy it for her. She has nothing and no one. She's not the powerful crime figure she once was. She's alone. And I would also like to visit her sometimes.”

“Not if she's going to treat you like shit again!” Rose said sharply.

“I agree with Rose,” Ed added, “She could be damaging to your self esteem, Oswald.”

He laughed off their remarks as he regarded them fondly.

“No, she will _not_ do that. I stopped being her umbrella boy many years ago. And she stopped being the bully she used to be around the time she lost her position in the Gotham underworld. But I am thankful Lilly's mistake has led to this reunion. I have no intention of adding another spouse to this marriage. But I do wish to maintain contact with Fish, and occasionally visit her. I think you know what I'm saying?”

“If it makes you happy,” Rose replied, “I don't object. I've shared you with Ed and Ivy, I can understand you want to see her again, Fish has been through a lot and you have a special kind of heart that keeps on giving love. It's not meant to be kept by one person.”

Ed cast him a worried look.

“If you're going to visit her when she's settled into her new place, I insist on coming with you. I just want to be sure she's not going to mistreat you.”

“I rather like that idea,” Oswald replied as their eyes met, then Ed started to smile as he got it too: _Oswald was happy to share his heart, he was also happy to share his encounters with Fish... Ed found the idea strangely exciting._

“I won#t participate,” Ed told him, “But I would like to watch.”

As both men chuckled, Rose giggled.

“How do you turn every situation to your advantage?” she exclaimed.

He drained his glass and poured another drink.

“Because I'm Penguin, and I can!” he said in triumph.

 

As they reached the front door, it was opened by Ivy, who looked at Lilly and Ivan, then back to Lilly and shook her head.

“That was dumb!” she exclaimed, “Yes, I've heard all about it from your father! You made Fish Mooney play one of your sick games? Didn't you know he was once in love with her?”

“No, I didn't know that!” Lilly replied as they stepped inside and Ivy closed the door.

“I'm really sorry about this mess -”

“Ivan, it's not your fault,” Ivy told him, “It's my daughter. She fucked up.”

“And I'm sorry... _Oh no... NO!_ ”

Lilly was holding out her hands. She had just realised a glove was missing. She searched her pockets and found them empty as tears filled her eyes.

“ _Mom, I left my glove behind!”_ she said tearfully, _“It's Daddy's! The cops will find it, help me!”_

Suddenly she sounded anything but the capable, cold hearted killer in her early twenties that she really was; at that moment, Lilly Kapelput sounded like a small, frightened child.

Ivy felt a spike of fear run down her spine as she thought of the missing glove – Penguin's glove, left at the scene of a suspected game played by the Gotham Jigsaw. She couldn't bring herself to even think about the consequences if this turned bad...

“Lilly, go upstairs, lie down and calm down,” Ivy said, taking charge of the situation, “Ivan, get your ass back home. Say nothing to anyone about this! I'll stop by the greenhouse, pick up some potion and get over there. If any cops are still on the scene, I'll use it to control them and they can help me find the damned thing and then I'll tell them to forget me and I'll get the hell out.”

“ _Thank you Mommy!”_ Lilly threw her arms around her and hugged her, then she stepped back and leaned on her cane as she paused to wipe away her tears.

“Don't worry,” Ivan said to her, “You Mom knows what to do. I'd better go home now. And I won't say anything, we don't need to worry your Dad – at least, not yet.”

He left the house and Lilly turned back to her mother.

“Be careful.”

“I always have been,” Ivy reminded her sharply, “That's why I'm not in jail!” then she walked away, heading for the greenhouse to pick up a potent perfume that would prove invaluable.

Lilly stood there alone, watching her leave as worry filled her thoughts and reflected in her eyes. If the cops had found her father's glove, they would think her father was the Gotham Jigsaw...

“ _It's all my fault...”_ she whispered tearfully, and then she leaned hard on her cane as she headed for the stairs, feeling sure she was too worried to ever sleep again until that glove was found.

 

Back at the house, Oswald was on to his third drink when the phone rang.

“Firefly!” he exclaimed, smiling as his mood instantly picked up after such a hard and heavy day, “It's good to hear from you!”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Penguin, I need to tell you something. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

He smiled. Rose and Ed were sat on the sofa, both had glasses of wine and both were in need of it to wind down after Lilly's fiasco with Fish. They saw the look on his face and their attention was instantly captured, clearly, Oswald was pleased about something...

“Bridgit,” he said kindly, “You're not my enforcer any more. I am not your boss. I consider you an old friend. I think I know what you're going to say and you don't need to be afraid to say it.”

“I don't think you do know,” Bridgit replied, “Penguin, I'm seeing this guy...and I love him and -”

“And ever since you came to this house to cure Lilly of her fear of fire, he hasn't stopped smiling. You don't need my blessing but you certainly have it, Bridgit. I'm very happy for you and Ozzie. And by the way, you don't have to call me Penguin any more. I would prefer you to call me Oswald.”

“Thank you so much, Oswald! I didn't know how you would take this news -”

“I'm happy,” he assured her, “Now put my son on the phone, I want to have a word with him.”

Bridgit handed the phone to Ozzie.

“Dad? Are you sure you're okay about this?” his son asked.

As Rose and Ed listened, Oswald's eyes shone with joy as he spoke to his son.

“Bridgit is a lovely person,” Oswald said, “I'm glad I raised a son who looks beyond the surface and sees what's underneath, what really matters. You and Bridgit have the same age gap as me and Lilly's mother – but it was the other way around, I was the shy, older virgin and she was your age and to be honest, I think between you and your Aunt Ivy, with your combined total of scores, you've probably slept with the whole of Gotham!”

As Oswald laughed, so did Ozzie.

“I am happy for you, son,” Oswald said, “I'm well aware that Bridgit never dated...until you came along. You've both made a good choice. Now, I'm going to leave you to get on with your evening with your lovely girlfriend. And make sure you bring her over for dinner at the weekend, she's invited and very welcome!”

“Thanks Dad, I'll tell her that.”

As the call ended, Oswald put down the phone and smiled.

“I knew it! Ozzie's seeing Bridgit Pike.”

“Great!” Ed said in surprise.

Rose smiled too. It had been a surprise to learn about this, but she had liked Bridgit from the first time she came over to the house – at first sight, she had not been sure about her, but then she had got to know her. One look in her eyes told her all she needed to know: Her son had made a good choice.

“I'm glad,” she said, “I think they could be perfect for each other.”

What had started as a disastrous day had ended well – at least, it ended well at Oswald's mansion. On the other side of the estate, Ivy returned home long past midnight, with bad news that left Lilly feeling shattered: _The glove was not at the crime scene..._

 

The next morning brought rain and then when the rain stopped, the skies of Gotham filled with more cloud. As Lilly stood by her window watching the gloomy skies, she was reflecting on the future and had made some decisions: When the cops found the glove, they would soon realise the umbrella logo linked to her father. They would come to the house to arrest him – and she knew she would have to be brave and admit the truth. She hadn't set up all this effort and planning and hard work to see her father suffer. The whole idea had been to make him proud of her – and ease his pain by making those who deserved it suffer:

_Maybe she was crazy. She would certainly be locked away. Just like her Dad had feared when she was a kid, she would certainly be spending the rest of her days in Arkham... But anything was better than seeing her father try and defend her and take the blame. She wasn't going to let that happen..._

But first, before the world caved in around her, she had one more plan to carry out. She went to her mother's room. Ivy was downstairs, busy with the plants as she distracted herself from the worry of the missing glove. Lilly quickly stole what she needed, then she left the house. On the way out she called Ivan.

“I'm going for a drive and you're coming with me,” she said, “Be outside waiting. I need to tell you something...”

 

Ivan met Lilly and got into the car. When he asked her what this was about, she simply told him to wait until they reached their destination, then she drove on without saying another word. Their destination was a quiet spot beside the same deserted pier where years before, Ed had shot her father. Lilly stopped the car and turned the engine off and looked at him.

“What's this about?” he asked.

Lilly paused. Then a strange look he couldn't define came to her ice blue eyes as she spoke in a hushed voice.

“The glove is no where to be found. That means the cops already have it. Which also means, I don't have long. Time is running out and I have made my choice. I can't let my father get in trouble for my error. Neither do I want to spend the rest of my life locked away. _All of this is coming to an end_.”

As she looked at him, Ivan looked back at her, thinking how final she had sounded, then he realised how close they were to the water...

“Lilly, you don't have to think the worst, and never say it's the end -”

“ _But it is!”_ she blinked away tears, and then she drew in a breath, “I am going to sit in the back seat of the car and you will join me. And then we will hold hands for a while.”

“But Lilly -”

She got out of the car, and then got into the back. Ivan gave a sigh and did the same, leaving the front of the car and getting into the back to join her. As he closed the door, she was just sitting there, silent. Then she turned her head, looked into his eyes and her hand closed over his.

“I am fully aware I don't have long. Situations such as this call for desperate measures. I've already taken what we need from my Mom's bedroom. _The end is coming. We need to do it together, now, while we still have time - before the cops come for me._ ”

Ivan stared at her as his face paled. He had suddenly realised what was going on. He knew for sure, because Ivy had once mentioned what she kept in her bedroom – a loaded hand gun for protection... _Was this what Lilly wanted? Was she expecting a suicide pact before the cops closed in, was she really that crazy?_

“Lilly,” he whispered, “We are not going to die! That's insane! There could be a way out of this – maybe the cops won't come for you, maybe they won't even link the glove to your Dad. I would die for you if I had to defend you from others - but I won't let us die side by side over this!”

Now Lilly was staring.

“What?” she said in confusion.

“You want us to die together? You stole your Mom's gun from the bedroom?”

She briefly rolled her eyes, then she shook her head, and finally, she laughed.

“You think I want us to _die_ together? Oh my god, Ivan, you dummy!”

Then she pulled something out of her pocket. Ivan saw what it was, and his eyes widened in surprise and hope filled his heart as he laughed too: _It wasn't a gun..._

“I stole condoms!” Lilly exclaimed, “My Mom keeps a big stash of them for when my dad comes over for a massage...” then she paused as she thought of the fear that hung over her, “I love you, Ivan. I've loved you for years! I know I'm going to jail for the rest of my life. But I'm not walking into that cell where I'll spend the rest of my days, without knowing what it's like to make love to you!”

She reclined the seat and looked up at him.

“ _I'll be in jail until the day I die! Don't let me die a virgin!”_

Ivan reclined his own seat so hard it fell back with a thud and bounced. He leaned over Lilly and placed a shaking hand on her shoulder as tears filled his eyes.

“I love you, Lilly Kapelput!”

She wrapped her arms around him. All of a sudden, there was fire burning in eyes that had long seemed made of ice.

“Take me while there's still time, take me now!” she said impatiently.

Ivan didn't need to be asked again. He took her in his arms, covering her mouth with a hard kiss, then he whispered he loved her and years of unsaid feelings came tumbling out as he held her, and after a few first clumsy moves, he finally made love to Lilly, the woman he had loved from afar for so long.

 

The skies were still filled with grey clouds and the waters of the river were starting to churn as outside, the breeze dropped to a chill and strengthened. But inside the car, the lovers felt warm and safe and shut off from the world. Lilly and Ivan had adjusted their clothing and were still embracing on the reclined seats. Ivan was on his side, looking down at her as she lay there, her pale face flushed as her eyes stayed closed and she gave a sigh. He was thinking about every moment they had just spent together.

“I think I must have loved you since the day we met.”

She opened her eyes and her face lit up with a smile and then she laughed.

“The day I tried to kill you!”

He laughed too.

“I'm glad my Dad stopped me,” she said as her smile faded, then she blinked away tears, “Or I never would have found you, or us! Oh shit, everything was going so well, then I had to be stupid and leave a clue at the crime scene. _My life is over, it's not fair!_ ”

Ivan brushed a tear from her eye, then he ran his hand over her long, spiked up hair.

“We may be worrying for nothing. The cops might not even make a connection. Anyone could have left that glove there. We have to think this might just turn out okay.”

Lilly nodded.

“If you really think that's possible, I'll try to think so too...”

She sat up, wiped her eyes again and then adjusted the seat.

“We should head back soon. I want to be with you, but I need my family, too. Just in case I don't have much time left with them. And I need to tell my Dad everything.”

Just then her phone rang. Lilly exchanged a glance with Ivan and reached into the front of the car to retrieve it, then she answered the call. Ivan watched as her face paled.

“Yes, this is Lilly Kapelput,” she said as her voice trembled. She paused again, _“I will see you now. Let's get this over with. I'm by the Gotham River. Meet me at the pier_.”

The call ended and and she fell silent as she looked down at her phone.

“Who was it?” Ivan asked.

Lilly looked up from the phone and met his gaze. Her ice blue eyes were filled with a look that said she was resigned to her fate.

“ _That was Detective Jim Gordon,”_ she said in a hushed voice, _“He said he wants to meet with me to discuss a police matter - the matter of the Gotham Jigsaw...”_

 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 

Ivan moved the car away and sat there waiting, parked at a distance. His guts were churning as he looked to Lilly, standing by the water beneath the shade of her parasol. This was the woman he loved. She was crazy, she was all the things he had never expected to fall in love with – but here he was, waiting at a distance, watching as she waited for Jim Gordon to come for her.

She had told him not to react when she was arrested, this was her mess and she would sort it out. She had seemed tough as her Dad when she had said those words, as if the fragile, strangely beautiful young woman who had trembled in his arms just an hour before had disappeared.

Ivan looked to the river as it reflected grey skies and thought of his late mother. He had been told Kristen was a sweet and kind woman. How horrified she would have been to know her only son had ended up in love with Lilly Kapelput, daughter of Penguin, a woman with blood on her hands...

But no matter how hard he thought about all he had witnessed since making the choice to become Lilly's bodyguard and then her lover, he had no regrets. He had no say in the choices his heart made. Perhaps he had loved her since the day he had first looked into her crazy, ice blue eyes. He knew for sure his heart had made a decision all those years ago when he had run into that burning barn to get her out. He couldn't imagine life without Lilly...

He was sat there watching her as Jim Gordon's car pulled up. There was nothing Ivan could do, he was armed but he had been told not to try and rescue her when she was arrested, and so he would do nothing, because that was what Lilly had told him to do.

Jim got out of the car. Ivan sat there watching as he drew in a tight breath and his heart ached and he wondered how life could go on without Lilly. This was it, this was the end, she was going to be arrested...

 

Down by the water, as Jim walked up to the elegantly dressed woman who stood beneath the shade of a black lace parasol, she heard him approaching and turned, leaning elegantly on her cane.

“Hello, Jim,” said Lilly, “What can I do for you today?”

She had sounded confident, but all her emotions had been packed away with her last embrace with Ivan. Now she was facing the end and doing so with the kind of bravery she hoped her father would be proud to hear about later...

Jim paused for a moment, looking to Penguin's daughter:

Lilly stood with her back to the water, her raven dark hair fell to her shoulders, but the top and sides were swept up in elegant spikes like her father. She had his ice blue eyes. Looking at her was like seeing a female version of Oswald, right down to the way she leant on that cane of hers... but her father had never killed his enemies in such lovingly detailed and carefully planned games. Lilly enjoyed it too much, and it hadn't taken much to work out the killer was her, or why...

As he reached her, she stiffened as she clutched tighter at her parasol. He looked into her eyes and knew in that moment he had been right about his theory, he had never been more sure of anything in his life:

_Lilly Kapelput was the Gotham Jigsaw..._

“Say something, Jim!” she added, “There's no need for silence. We both know why you're are here.”

Jim drew in a slow breath, then he looked to the river and recalled that day so long ago when he had faked shooting Oswald and told him never to return to Gotham as he had pushed him into the water. And here he was again, all these years later, confronting Penguin's daughter...

The wind ruffled his hair as he turned his head and met her gaze once more.

“Lilly, I found the glove at the crime scene. Then I started wondering why the Jigsaw needed to use a device to change his voice. I knew Penguin wasn't capable of these kind of crimes. If your father killed, it was in times of gang warfare, or self defence, or to maintain his position in the underworld. He was a slash and stab kind of man, get it over with quickly and be done with it. But not you... because you don't kill to survive or to underline your position in the underworld.”

He paused, looking at her as she tensed and he saw a flicker of unease in her eyes. It was there, then it was gone.

“I would love to hear your theory, Detective,” she said coldly.

Jim nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I knew you would – because that's the one thing you don't want anyone to know. I've worked it all out. _I know why you do it_.”

A smile twitched at her mouth and then it vanished.

“I'm sure you feel like a _very_ big man, cornering me on this pier to take me apart psychologically. But I see no cops with you. I'm guessing you came alone so you could be the one to claim all the glory for yourself – Jim Gordon, the hero who captured the Gotham Jigsaw! How egotistical.”

“No,” Jim said, then he paused, gathering his thoughts. He looked to the river, then back at Lilly.

“I think a little girl who started her life missing her Daddy just wanted to be with him. And when he did show up, he was very sick. That child had to watch him suffer. All you wanted was your father to recover and be okay. And he got better, because your Mom found a cure. But nothing could fix his busted leg. And you and him are so close and so alike, when he hurts, you hurt. That's why your second victim was Fish Mooney. I believe she's alive because your father found out what was happening and put a stop to the game. You don't kill for power or self defence – you do it out of the need for vengeance. Every time you find someone who has harmed your father's business interests, or threatened or hurt one of your family in some way, you strike. Because that little girl who just wanted her Daddy to live will never stop hurting over the things that hurt him.”

Lilly had been listening to all he had said, and there was not a flicker of emotion in her gaze as she spoke again; if his words had affected her, she wasn't about to show it.

“Bravo,” she said flatly, “What an elaborate speech praising your own intelligence. Shame there's no one else here to appreciate it. I acted alone, I had no accomplice and my Father knew nothing of my crimes. Just arrest me, lock me up and enjoy your victory as the man who caught the Gotham Jigsaw.”

Jim paused. For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of the flowing water of the river as it passed by.

“ _No.”_

Lilly stared at him.

“What do you mean, _no?_ You came here to arrest me!”

Jim took a step closer. Now he could see a shade of fear in Lilly's eyes.

“I've confessed!” she exclaimed, “Just get this over with!”

Jim looked down at the ground for a moment. This wasn't the first time he had made a deal with a Cobblepot... But sometimes, in a world as dark as this one, desperate times called for desperate measures...

“I hate to do this,” he told her, “As much as I loathed making deals with your father... but I'm not here to arrest you. _I'm here to repay a favour_.”

She blinked, then stared at him in disbelief.

“I have done you no favours!”

“The man who arranged the hit on your car – your first victim – he should have been in jail three years back. He beat his ex girlfriend so badly she died from her injuries. At the time she had been separated from him for six months and she was in a relationship with _me_. He was in a jealous rage and beat her so badly she took three days to die and I had to watch her suffer because the doctors couldn't save her. He was arrested, it went to trial and due to an error with handling of evidence, he walked free. _Thank you for removing that scumbag from society._ ”

Lilly looked stunned as she took in all he had said.

“So, you're _glad_ I killed him?”

Jim gave a heavy sigh.

“I am very reluctant see injustice,” he replied, “And in this case, you did the justice when the system failed. I'm also aware of your motives. You only kill those who threaten your father's underworld interests and those who you perceive as causing pain to others. That puts you in the grey area of vigilante, not mindless killer. So I'm proposing a deal. When some vile piece of shit cheats or escapes the criminal justice system, I'll give you their file. I trust the Jigsaw will do the rest. Your alter ego is already proving to be a deterrent to some. Since the first killing a few lowlife bastards have been shaking in their boots thinking they might be next. In this city, a lot of truly sick individuals have walked free from the courts for one reason or another. They still pose a threat to society. If you can agree to this, you can go free. Do we have a deal, Lilly?”

The ice in her blue eyes seemed to melt away instantly as she smiled warmly.

“Yes! We do have a deal!” she said joyfully, “Thank you so much!” she stepped closer, a little too close as she looked up at him, “I thought my life was over today! I thought I'd spend the rest of my days in Arkham! I was so afraid my time was running out I did it with Ivan in the car! I'm not a virgin any more!”

Jim took a step back, briefly glancing away towards the river again as he silently wondered what it was with this family and having sex in cars... He could still recall the day he had arrived on this very spot after being told a possible gang war was being planned... Only to find Oswald parked up and Ed Nygma giving him head... He looked back at Lilly. She was filled with joy and excitement. Oh yeah she was crazy, Jim was sure of it. But _not_ the kind of crazy that was dangerous to everyone, only to her enemies...

“This is a wonderful day!” she declared, “The day I gave my love to Ivan, _and_ the day I made a deal with you! Please do gather those files and bring them to me. I will be only too happy to assist you, Detective! Thank you for giving me this chance!”

Jim looked hard at her.

“One more thing, Lilly,” he said as a warning tone crept into his voice, “You only kill the specified victims. _Don't_ bring others into the game – there were four security guards shot dead by Maxen before he ended up in the meat grinder.”

Lilly shrugged.

“He made a poor moral choice,” she replied, “But your request is duly noted. I will not involve others in dangerous aspects of any game I decide to set up. I hope this agreement will be a permanent arrangement.”

“It will,” Jim replied, and then he reached into his pocket and handed back the missing glove.

“I'll be in touch,” he added, then he walked back to his car.

Lilly put the glove in her pocket and hurried off away from the pier, heading over to the shady spot where Ivan was waiting.

When Jim got into his car, he started up the engine and then he paused, looking over to the place where Lilly's vehicle was parked. He saw her let down her parasol, then she put it and her cane into the car, then she got in and closed the door, grabbing hold of Ivan as she spoke to him excitedly. He listened, replied, and she laughed and said something else, then her seat reclined, then Ivan's did the same and she briefly raised her head to toss her hair back, and then she dived on to him for a kiss.

Jim shook his head as he thought again about the Cobblepot family and their liking for making out in cars, by the river... it obviously ran in the family. He drove away, leaving Lilly and Ivan to celebrate their good news alone.

 

Two months later:

 

It was rare for Ed and Oswald to take some time away from Gotham, but Fish Mooney was now settled in a place by the sea and as he had promised, he was on his way to visit her. As they took the road that led to a small beach house that overlooked sand and sea a short distance below, as Ed drove, Oswald was smiling as he thought back to what had happened with his daughter. She had come home on the day of that meeting filled with excitement. When he had heard about the glove left at the scene, Oswald had been horrified – then she had told him about Jim Gordon and the deal she had cut, and that had changed everything. He laughed again as he thought about it.

“I still can't believe Lilly's made a deal with Jim!” he exclaimed, “It must be something about our family, he just can't resist making deals with Cobblepots! I remember long ago, we did a few favours for each other.”

“And now Lilly's keeping up the family tradition!” Ed said as he smiled.

As they neared the house above the beach, the sun was shining and the water was sparkling.

“I can't wait to see Fish!” Oswald said.

“I remain cautious,” Ed replied, “Keep that bedroom door open.”

“Because you want to watch!”

Ed chuckled.

“And I want to be sure you're safe with her.”

“She's changed.”

Ed cast him a doubtful look.

“People like Fish don't change completely.”

“We shall see,” Oswald said, then they reached the house and Ed parked the car. Oswald took a deep breath and then opened the door and reached for his cane.

“I've been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he told him, then he got out of the car and Ed followed.

 

They stood side by side on the porch and Oswald tapped on the door with his cane. Ed laughed softly.

“Oh, I know _that_ knock... that's the one you use on Ivy, it's the horny little Penguin knock!”

Oswald felt strangely shy for a moment as his face flushed and he laughed too.

“Shut up!” he said as he chuckled.

Then the door opened. Fish Mooney stood there in a sleek silken gown that clung to her curves. Her shoes were sparkling gold and the heels were high. One look at her took him way back – but Oswald wasn't here to act out old times. It had been fun to do that with Rose and Ivy, but not with Fish. Now, things had to change...

“Hello, Oswald,” she said, and the sound of her voice sent a shiver of excitement through his body.

She opened the door wider and stepped back and they went inside. She led them through to a front room with wide windows that overlooked the sea.

“You're looking well,” she remarked.

“I am well,” he replied, “You look pretty good yourself, Fish.”

She smiled and turned away to a bar area.

“I think it's only fair I should fix a drink for the man who saved my life.”

“I'm fine, thank you,”Oswald replied, “But Ed will have a cocktail. I have other plans.”

She glanced at him.   
“Fine,” she replied, then she said no more as Ed took a seat while Oswald stood there waiting. If Fish thought he was here for conversation, she was wrong. There would be a conversation once they were alone, but it wouldn't be quite the one she was expecting...

Ed settled comfortably with his drink and then Fish turned to Oswald.

“It's been a long time,” she remarked, “I can't help but wonder what you have in mind.”

He stepped closer, met her gaze and his eyes shone with glee.

“ _Where's the bedroom?”_ he asked.

Seeing a flicker of surprise in her gaze was deeply satisfying. If she thought that was forward of her formerly timid umbrella boy, she had many more surprises in store...

“This way,” she replied, and then she led him down the hallway, up four steps to a slightly raised level, and opened up the door to a comfortable bedroom where drapes were open and shifted gently with the sigh of the sea breeze.

There was a full length mirror in the room and Oswald smiled as he looked into it, seeing the reflected open doorway. Ed was now sitting on the stairs sipping his drink, looking in. The mirror would reflect a perfect view of the bed...

“Leave the door open,” he ordered, and she heard the authoritative tone in his voice then she saw Ed watching in the mirror and she turned stiffly back to him.

“What kind of game do you think you're trying to play with me?” she said as anger crept into her voice.

“Ed is here to ensure you don't try and harm me,” he replied, “He's my husband. He has no wish to see me come to harm by your hand.”

Her eyes widened, the brown and blue combination reflecting indignation.

“You saved my life! I have no intention of causing you any harm, Oswald!”

He leaned on his cane and stepped closer, looking into her eyes.

“So this is really the new Fish Mooney?”

“The past is gone,” she replied, and then she smiled a seductive smile.

“But I still have time for an umbrella boy...”

He glared at her.

“ _Sit. Down. Now!”_

As she glared back at him, she saw strength and defiance and dominance in his eyes. It shocked her, to think her once timid and submissive umbrella boy could have changed so much. Clearly Oswald was not the man she recalled. Time had done much to change him...

She sat down on the bed as he stood over her and looked down.

“Understand this, Fish – I am _not_ an umbrella boy any more! I am the most powerful man in Gotham. I own an oil company and I still hold power in the underworld. Understand who saved you on that day, and show me some respect! I am Penguin, and I kneel to no one!”

She stared at him, seeing her former umbrella boy in a whole new light.

“You will always be the man who used to work for me,” she said fondly, then a smile played about her lips as she extended a manicured hand, as Oswald caught his breath, feeling her fingertips stroke his cheek.

Then sadness shaded her eyes.

“I heard all about your rise to power,” she said, “And the struggles you have overcome. The more I heard, the more I saw who you really are. I made a confession when the Jigsaw had me captive... he asked if I ever regretted hurting someone I loved. I told him yes, I regret what I did to him. _I was talking about you._ ”

Years before, Fish had always been so cold and dominant towards him, but as he recalled all he had heard in the concealed room as Lilly played out the game he knew she was telling the truth. He saw regret in her eyes and heard it in her voice. It was also true that Fish had lost everything, but perhaps in losing so much, she had come to gain a softer perspective as she looked back on all she had lost and mourned it.

“And today we draw a line under the past,” Oswald told her, “If you want me to come to you, to share your bed, I'll only do that on my terms. Or I can walk out the door and you never have to see me, ever again.”

Suddenly, those words sounded like a threat. As Fish drew in a breath and spoke again, she cast aside everything but the truth.

“Your terms are acceptable,” she whispered, and as Ed watched reflected in the mirror, Oswald sat beside her and they slowly leaned close, and finally their lips touched.

If Fish had enjoyed denying him pleasure all those years ago, she had certainly wanted him on a level she had never allowed him to know about until now – Oswald had pushed up her dress, tugged down her underwear, and she had grabbed at his hair and gasped as he kissed down her body, burying his head between her legs. She hit climax in less than five minutes and as he roughly tugged at his clothing and positioned himself between her legs, she was saying his name and begging him for more.

Ed was sure he had never seen such an arousing sight as he watched Oswald moving against her hard and fast, she was clinging to him and meeting every movement with a desperate thrust as he fulfilled a dream of many years standing and finally had sex with the woman who had once denied him everything. When he hit his peak he was bathed in sweat and saying her name over and over and finally yelling it one last time as he slammed against her. Then he collapsed on top of her, gasping for breath as she embraced him with a slightly stunned expression on her face. If she had not realised how this would feel, she knew it now...

They laid together for a short while, and as she looked into his eyes, regret was plain in her voice as she spoke softly to him.

“If I had known how powerful you were destined to become, if I had seen past that umbrella boy who snitched on me... I never would have let you go.”

“But you did,” Oswald replied, then he kissed her cheek and got up and tidied his clothing.

Fish sat up.

“You're not leaving yet?”

“Yes I am,” Oswald replied as he reached for his cane, “I have a family to get home to and Ed is rather impatient for some of my time after watching us have fun,” there was a wicked gleam in his eyes and it made her smile.

Fish silently regretted ever letting him go; it was the thought of his power and those oil wells and just how much she would have enjoyed sharing a life like that with him, or even taking it from him and having the money and the business all to herself.. But those days were gone. Now she was living here, safe and comfortable, thanks to the man she would forever regret turning away in such a violent manner...

“I'll see you again,” Oswald promised her as she smoothed down her dress and stood up, “Not for a while, I'm a busy man.. but I will visit again, I promise. Don't bother seeing me out, I know where the door is, Fish.”

“Don't leave me lonely for too long,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.

They shared another kiss. This time it was deep and lingering, then he turned away and left the room.

 

Ed was waiting for him by the front door. They exchanged a smile then left the house together.

“I am _so_ turned on!” Ed exclaimed.

“I should do something about that once we get in the car,” Oswald replied.

“No,” Ed told him with a playful look in his eyes, “I'm aching for it! Make me wait till we get home!”

As they got in the car Oswald laughed.

“Sounds like you got inspired watching me with Fish. Do you want me to be your dominant little Penguin?”

The thought made Ed's ache even harder and more unbearable as he smiled at Oswald.

“Yes please!” he said breathlessly, then he started the car and they drove away as Oswald laughed.

“We will get about half a mile from here and you'll pull over. You can't wait that long!” he teased.

“I can!” Ed replied.

Oswald happened to be right. They had got just over half a mile down the road and Ed had found a quiet spot beneath and old abandoned bridge and he had pulled over.

“I can't wait!” he had gasped, and Oswald had tugged on his belt as he looked into his eyes.

“I told you so,” he said, then he took him in his mouth and finally, as Ed leaned back against the seat, he found a fast and beautiful rush of relief.

Then they drove on, heading for home. A n hour later they arrived, and exchanged a smile as they reached the gates of the mansion.

“We should visit the coast more often!” Ed remarked.

“Yes we certainly should,” Oswald replied as he glanced at Ed with a sparkle in his eyes, then they drove through the gateway and finally reached home.

 

Rose:

 

I wasn't concerned about my husband's occasional visits to Fish Mooney. Ed always went with him, and they always returned happy. It was clear Fish had changed a lot since the days when she had been all powerful. Maybe the new bond she shared with Oswald was good for both of them after so much misery that had overshadowed their past relationship. As for our marriage, it remained good. I was happy with Oswald, he was happy with me and Ed.

Our son's life was also turning out well, Ozzie was still dating Bridgit and they were falling more in love with every passing day.

It was a surprise to learn that Lilly was finally dating, but it was not a surprise to learn who she was seeing. Of course it was Ivan, Gertrude had been right from the start: Those two were made for each other.

As for Lilly, Jim Gordon kept his side of the deal and she kept hers. Once in while, they would meet by the water and he would hand her a file. Then she would plan her next game. It seemed Jim was right – there was a big fear of the mysterious Jigsaw amongst those who had a reason to fear falling into the killer's clutches. The identity of the Gotham Jigsaw remained a secret hidden as well as those in the know concealed the identity of the crime fighter Batman. Whoever he was, someone knew, but no one said a word.

The same could be said about Lilly:

_For us, the identity of the Gotham Jigsaw was a family secret – but where was the harm in that, all families have secrets, don't they?_

 

End

 

 


End file.
